More on Olestra

The development of olestra as a non-digestible fat substitute immediately led researchers and lay-persons alike to consider the implications of a solution to the problem of fatty foods. Replacing snack foods with a low-fat substitute seemed like a way to help curb the increasing number of people with high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, and scores of other diseases and health complications that result from a high-fat diet. Here is a sampling of just a few studies that focus on olestra in other body systems:

Cholesterol Reduction

Patterson et al. (2000) looked at serum lipid levels, diet and weight of participants a year after olestra-containing foods were made widely available to the public. Participants categorized themselves as none, low, moderate, or heavy consumers of olestra-containing foods. They group found that those with a heavy olestra intake had significantly reduced dietary intake of percentage of energy from fat and had significantly reduced total serum cholesterol levels.

Another study compared cholesterol absorption in the presence of olestra. Participants were fed either butter or a butter-olestra blend twice a day over a fourteen-day period. They found that in the absence of olestra, cholesterol absorption was significantly greater (Jandacek, Ramirez, Crouse 1990.)

Cardiovascular Risk Factors

A study done by Lovejoy et al (2003) showed that after nine months of consuming olestra there was a significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. There were reductions in cholesterol low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. The reduced risk was largely attributed to the weight loss of the participants.

Therapy

Moser and McLachlan (1999) discuss the need for a therapy to enhance contaminant elimination from the body. They estimate that olestra would more than double the overall rate of elimination of persistent lipophilic contaminants. Another use for olestra is propositioned by Tsuji, Saito, and Inoue (2001) as an anti-obesity agent. They suggest researching olestra as a potential therapy to inhibit the absorption of lipids. However, they concede that a solution to the adverse effects of olestra on the gastrointestinal tract must be found.

Financial Relationships

A study by Levine et al. (2003) brought to light an important aspect within the olestra research field. They found that authors that were supportive of olestra in their journal articles were more likely to have a financial relationship with Proctor & Gamble, the company that holds the patents and rights to Olean, the commercially used form of olestra. They also found that all authors that disclosed that they had a financial relationship with P&G were supportive in their articles. Their study calls for noncommercial funding for olestra research in order to obtain a more objective review of olestra safety.