How Olestra Works

A normal fat molecule is composed of three fatty acid chains. Olestra, which is made starting from vegetable oil, has six to eight fatty acid chains and a sucrose core. The result is a fat substitute that looks, cooks and tastes like ordinary fat, but because of its size, is not digested by the body. This means substituting olestra for traditional fats, reduces overall calories and fat. Further, because its composition is similar to full fat, foods with olestra maintain the same taste and consistency as those made with traditional fats and oils.

Triglyceride molecule: 3 fatty acid chains

Olestra Fat Molecule: 6-8 fatty acid chains

Approved for Use around the Globe

Olestra is approved in the United States and 22 other countries as a substitute for fat in many foods. Nearly seven billion servings of food made with olestra have been consumed around the world since the product was approved in 1996.

United States	Columbia	Korea	Oman	Saudi Arabia
Argentina	Costa Rica	Kuwait	Panama	United Arab Emirates
Brazil	Egypt	Lebanon	Peru	Venezuela
Chile	Honduras	Mexico	Philippines
China	Indonesia	Nicaragua	Russia

 

What do the Experts Say?

Olestra is one of the most studied food ingredients ever. It has been studied for more than 40 years, and is backed by more than 150 scientific studies and 400 technical papers published by independent nutrition and medical experts. This research demonstrates that olestra is safe and can help support a healthier diet and lifestyle.

The following are some of the most significant scientific studies completed on olestra which prove that it is safe, can be part of an overall weight-loss plan and does not cause negative side-effects.

Studies show that when eaten as part of a healthy diet and in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, foods with olestra can support a overall weight-lo

“Olestra is an innovative product developed over the last 25 years to meet a real public health need — reducing fat and saturated fat in our diet. This is important for reducing risks of heart disease and certain cancers, and for reducing weight.”
- Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Dean 
School of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of Washington

• “Changes in Diet, Weight and Serum Lipid Levels Associated with Olestra Consumption”: researchers found that olestra contributed to healthy changes in diet in 334 study participants. Participants reduced their fat intake and cholesterol levels and lost weight after consuming foods made with olestra ¹: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/160/17/2600
• Further studies examined the impact of weight loss and calorie intake when replacing traditional, full-fat food with food made with olestra. Researchers identified both significantly greater weight loss in a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition ²while a study in the Journal of the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology found a 35 percent reduction in fat and calorie intake in those consuming olestra³: http://www.jacn.org/content/21/3/259.long
• “Effect on Body Weight of Replacing Dietary Fat with Olestra for Two or Ten Weeks in Health Men and Women”: people who incorporated olestra into their diets lost significantly more weight than those who did not: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12074254 
• “Effects of Two Weeks Fat Replacement by Olestra on Food Intake and Energy Metabolism”: eating foods with olestra helped study participants reduce fat and calorie intake by 35 percent: http://www.fasebj.org/

Olestra and Your Health

Study after study has shown that olestra is safe for consumption. Despite the fact that olestra is not digested, large controlled studies published in leading medical journals show that eating foods with olestra does not negatively impact the digestive system or cause any unwanted health effects.

“All Americans can feel confident in the safety of snacks made with olestra. As a former Secretary of Health and Human Services, I am aware of the intense scrutiny new food ingredients like olestra are subject to before they are approved by the FDA. The FDA with input from the many respected experts including the National Cancer Institute carefully reviewed more than 25 years of research supporting olestra's safety.” 
- Louis Sullivan, MD 
President, Morehouse School of Medicine

 

• “Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Consumption of Olestra or Regular Triglyceride Potato Chips; A Controlled Comparison”: Dr. Cheskin and his team studied the effect of olestra in 1,123 volunteers. They overwhelmingly reported that olestra consumption was not associated with digestive or gastrointestinal symptoms any more than people consuming comparable foods made with traditional fats⁴: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9440666
• “Gastrointestinal Symptoms in 3,181 Volunteers Ingesting Snack Foods Containing Olestra or Triglycerides”: researchers compared the gastrointestinal effects in people eating chips made with olestra and those eating traditional full-fat chips. Similar digestive and gastrointestinal effects were found in the group eating chips made with olestra and the traditional full-fat chips⁵.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10068382
• “Follow-up to the Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Consumer Rechallenge Test of Olean Salted Snacks”: researchers retested individuals who reported side effects and after eating olestra in a previous study and found that those same participants reported no subsequent adverse gastrointestinal symptoms⁶.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9629591
• “Consumption of a Controlled Low-fat Diet Containing Olestra for 9 Months Improves Health Risk Factor in Conjunction with Weight Loss in Obese Men: The Olé Study”: researchers found that study participants lost weight and lowered their LDL cholesterol (“Bad Cholesterol”) and triglyceride levels after steadily incorporating olestra into their diet for nine months. Study authors concluded that olestra can be an important tool to reduce obesity and the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes⁷: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14513073
• “Olestra Consumption Does Not Predict Serum Concentrations of Carotenoids and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Free-Living Humans: Early Results from the Sentinel Site of the Olestra Post-Marketing Surveillance Study”: more than 2,000 adults were studied to determine olestra’s effect on vitamin and carotenoid (naturally occurring pigments found in food) levels. Researchers found that consuming foods with olestra does not negatively impact the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins or carotenoids⁸: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10867041
• “Postmarketing Surveillance of New Food Ingredients: Results from the Program with the Fat Replacer Olestra”: surveyed 15,000 consumers about their experience with olestra. Analysis of consumer feedback showed health effects reported were consistent with those found in the general population. Researchers concluded that any negative gastrointestinal effects reported could not be biologically connected to olestra consumption: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11350205

Olestra is one of the most studied food ingredients. In approving olestra in 1996, the FDA closely reviewed the weight of scientific evidence on the product, and determined that olestra is safe for consumption. As a result of expanded usage requests and GRAS filings, the FDA has reviewed olestra three times since 1996 and has reaffirmed its safety each time. Since its approval, nearly seven billion servings of olestra have been safely consumed.

Find out how olestra can help on the path to a healthier life. Healthy Living

 

Study after study has shown that olestra is safe for consumption. Despite the fact that olestra is not digested, large controlled studies published in leading medical journals show that eating foods with olestra does not negatively impact the digestive system or cause any unwanted health effects.

“All Americans can feel confident in the safety of snacks made with olestra. As a former Secretary of Health and Human Services, I am aware of the intense scrutiny new food ingredients like olestra are subject to before they are approved by the FDA. The FDA with input from the many respected experts including the National Cancer Institute carefully reviewed more than 25 years of research supporting olestra's safety.” 
- Louis Sullivan, MD 
President, Morehouse School of Medicine

 

• “Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Consumption of Olestra or Regular Triglyceride Potato Chips; A Controlled Comparison”: Dr. Cheskin and his team studied the effect of olestra in 1,123 volunteers. They overwhelmingly reported that olestra consumption was not associated with digestive or gastrointestinal symptoms any more than people consuming comparable foods made with traditional fats: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9440666
• “Gastrointestinal Symptoms in 3,181 Volunteers Ingesting Snack Foods Containing Olestra or Triglycerides”: researchers compared the gastrointestinal effects in people eating chips made with olestra and those eating traditional full-fat chips. Similar digestive and gastrointestinal effects were found in the group eating chips made with olestra and the traditional full-fat chips.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10068382
• “Follow-up to the Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Consumer Rechallenge Test of Olean Salted Snacks”: researchers retested individuals who reported side effects and after eating olestra in a previous study and found that those same participants reported no subsequent adverse gastrointestinal symptoms.: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9629591
• “Consumption of a Controlled Low-fat Diet Containing Olestra for 9 Months Improves Health Risk Factor in Conjunction with Weight Loss in Obese Men: The Olé Study”: researchers found that study participants lost weight and lowered their LDL cholesterol (“Bad Cholesterol”) and triglyceride levels after steadily incorporating olestra into their diet for nine months. Study authors concluded that olestra can be an important tool to reduce obesity and the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14513073
• “Olestra Consumption Does Not Predict Serum Concentrations of Carotenoids and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Free-Living Humans: Early Results from the Sentinel Site of the Olestra Post-Marketing Surveillance Study”: more than 2,000 adults were studied to determine olestra’s effect on vitamin and carotenoid (naturally occurring pigments found in food) levels. Researchers found that consuming foods with olestra does not negatively impact the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins or carotenoids: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10867041
• “Postmarketing Surveillance of New Food Ingredients: Results from the Program with the Fat Replacer Olestra”: surveyed 15,000 consumers about their experience with olestra. Analysis of consumer feedback showed health effects reported were consistent with those found in the general population. Researchers concluded that any negative gastrointestinal effects reported could not be biologically connected to olestra consumption⁹: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11350205

Olestra is one of the most studied food ingredients. In approving olestra in 1996, the FDA closely reviewed the weight of scientific evidence on the product, and determined that olestra is safe for consumption. As a result of expanded usage requests and GRAS filings, the FDA has reviewed olestra three times since 1996 and has reaffirmed its safety each time. Since its approval, nearly seven billion servings of olestra have been safely consumed.

Find out how olestra can help on the path to a healthier life. Healthy Living

¹ Patterson R., Kristal A., et al. Changes in Diet, Weight, and Serum Lipid Levels Associated with Olestra Consumption. Archives of Internal Medicine, Volume 160, Sept 25, 2000. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/160/17/2600]

² Roy H., Most, M., et al. Effect on Body Weight of Replacing Dietary Fat with Olestra for Two or Ten Weeks in Healthy Men and Women. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 21, No. 3, 259–267 (2002). http://www.jacn.org/content/21/3/259.long

³ Bray, G., Sparti, A., et al. Effect of Two Weeks Fat Replacement by Olestra on Food Intake and Energy Metabolism FASEB J 1995;9:A439 (abstr).

⁴ Cheskin L., Miday, R., et al. Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Consumption of Olestra or Regular Triglyceride Potato Chips; A Controlled Comparison. Journal of the American Medical Association. January 14, 1998, Vol 279, No. 2.

⁵ Sandler R., Zorich N., et al. Gastrointestinal Symptoms in 3181 Volunteers Ingesting Snack Foods Containing Olestra or Triglycerides; A 6-Week Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1999; 130:253-261.

⁶ Zorich, N., Biedermann, D., et al. Follow-Up to the Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Consumer Rechallenge Test of Olean Salted Snacks. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 27, 2 (1998)

⁷ Lovejoy, et al. Consumption of a controlled low-fat diet containing olestra for 9 months improves health risk factors in conjunction with weight loss in obese men: the Ole´ Study. International Journal of Obesity (2003) 27, 1242–1249.

⁸ Thornquist, M., Kristal, A., et al. Olestra Consumption Does Not Predict Serum Concentrations of Carotenoids and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Free-Living Humans: Early Results from the Sentinel Site of the Olestra Post-Marketing Surveillance Study. Journal of Nutrition. 130: 1711–1718, 2000.

⁹ Allgood, G., Kuter D., et al. Postmarketing Surveillance of New Food Ingredients: Results from the Program with the Fat Replacer Olestra. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 33, 224–233 (2001).