starch blocker

Also starch block

[stahrch blok-er]

noun

1. a substance ingested in the belief that it inhibits the body's ability to metabolize starch and thereby promotes weight loss: declared illegal in the U.S. by the FDA.

Other Word Forms

• starch-blocking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of starch blocker¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

The medicine, a so-called starch blocker intended to cut blood sugar after meals, is unpopular in the U.S. because it’s not potent enough to justify its side effects, according to Tom Donner, head of the diabetes center at Johns Hopkins University.

Read more on BusinessWeek