With all of America clamoring for low-fat and fat-free foods, the research people at food companies have been hard-pressed to come up with substitutes. And the one substitute that seems to fit the bill has been the source of a lot of controversy.
Still just a few years old, synthetically produced olestra is a fat substitute that is not absorbed by the digestive system. Since the body doesn’t absorb it, it is free of calories. It is also free of cholesterol and can be used in deep frying. Best of all, it tastes good.
What a bonanza: olestra potato chips that taste like the real thing and have fewer calories than baked or fat-free chips. Sounds too good to be true.
And it just may be, because there’s a painful downside to olestra. In many people, anything more than a very small amount of olestra-filled food may cause harsh stomach cramps and diarrhea. What’s more, researchers still have not determined exactly how olestra may affect the body’s absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K. Though the manufacturers have enriched their olestra products with additional amounts of these vitamins, they may leave the body along with the unabsorbed fat.
This means that eating large quantities of the good-tasting, reduced-calorie olestra foods may deplete your supply of fat-soluble vitamins. You may also lose carotenoids— like beta-carotene—that function as anti-oxidants and play a role in preventing such diseases as cancer and heart disease.
We just can’t say for certain how much of the fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids you’re losing and what the ef fects are over time. Until we know more, I’d recommend small quantities of olestra food at infrequent intervals. Even better, have none at all.