Chitosan and milk thistle
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
National Toxicology Program's Board of Scientific Counselors approves chitosan for testing to determine whether it blocks the absorption of dietary fat and depletes the body of vitamin E and other minerals at a May 24 meeting. NIH's National Cancer Institute nominated the substance and NTP's Interagency Committee for Chemical Evaluation & Coordination recommended it for testing. The decision now moves to NTP's Executive Committee, which will meet in late June. NTP also notes sub-chronic and chronic studies of milk thistle have been developed and are awaiting approval; ICCEC recommended last July that toxicity testing be conducted on the botanical along with aloe vera, ginseng and kava kava (1"The Tan Sheet" Aug. 2, 1999, p. 3)