Natural carb blockers: Emerging nutritional strategy, or overhyped nutraceuticals?

Abstract

Global obesity rates are witnessing a significant surge, with estimates indicating an approximate 115% increase from the year 2010, and a rise in the number of obese individuals by over 1.13 billion by the year 2035. Obesity prevalence among the children aged 5–19 has been projected to increase from 8.7% in 2025 to an alarming 11.9% by 2040 (World Obesity Atlas, 2026). The trend constitutes a major public health crisis, as obesity is a primary factor in the causation of various noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and chronic health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), neurological disorders, and chronic respiratory disease (CRDs). The death toll manifesting from these adverse health outcomes was estimated at 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2021. The economic cost attributed to this globesity pandemic is set to soar to USD 3 trillion by 2030, and a whopping USD 18 trillion by the year 2060 (World Health Organization., 2026). Keyword Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2dm), Cardiovascular Diseases (Cvds), Neurological Disorders, And Chronic Respiratory Disease