olestra

(ō-lĕs′trə)

A calorie-free fat substitute synthesized from sucrose and vegetable oil for use in snacks such as potato chips, and capable of passing through the body without being digested.

Olestra

A proprietary, FDA-approved synthetic (no-calorie) fat used in savory snack foods—e.g., tortilla chips, potato chips and crackers. Olestra has an appearance, taste and texture virtually identical to fat, but unlike most dietary fats (which are composed of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol), it is composed of sixt to eight fatty acids linked to glucose and is too large for digestion by the body’s enzymes. Olestra may reduce passive over-consumption as it flows undigested through the GI tract. A one-ounce bag of potato chips fried in olestra has 70 calories; a bag fried in regular fat has 150 calories.

olestra

Sucrose polyester, Olean^® A proprietary synthetic–no-calorie fat, approved by the FDA–for use in savory snack foods–eg, tortilla chips, potato chips, and crackers; Side effects GI discomfort including cramps, diarrhea; it binds to vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. See Obesity.

o·les·tra

(ō-les'tră)

A fat substitute that is stable for frying, but that also prevents fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins from being absorbed. Some adverse effects have been reported.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

olestra

A non-digestible fat substitute that was given approval by the US Food and Drug Administation (FDA) in 1996 but which does not appear to be the final solution to the obesity problem. About 20 per cent of those eating it are said to have abdominal symptoms such as cramping or diarrhoea. There is also concern that Olestra might inhibit the absorption of fat-soluble antioxidant carotenoids.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

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References in periodicals archive

The healthiest low- calorie fat-free foods are fresh vegetables and fruit, NOT snacks, crisps, biscuits, cakes and deep-fried foods made with products like olestra.

Fat-free fat is a fat lot of good..

If we put it in chocolate, for instance, we would have to decide how to fortify the product to compensate for the minerals that Olestra supposedly takes out of the body.

Nestle: the visions of local managers

After years of wrangling, the US Government finally gave olestra the go-ahead last week.

The fat bomb

Pringles, WOW brand potato chips, and a number of other snack foods that are made with olestra can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea, loose stools, and anal leakage.

Ask Dr. Nan

The trial demonstrated that olestra - a zero-calorie fat substitute found in low-calorie snack foods such as Pringles - could reduce the levels of serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in people who had been exposed to PCBs.

Zero-calorie fat substitute in chips could help remove toxins from body

Olestra also interferes with the absorption of OCs.

An assessment of the intestinal lumen as a site for intervention in reducing body burdens of organochlorine compounds

The low-calorie chips are made with olestra, a synthetic fat substitute that has zero calories and passes through the body undigested.

Fat Substitutes Linked to Weight Gain

Another example of a useful chemical in the crosshairs of activists is the fat substitute called Olestra. After an eight-year review--one of the most intensive and comprehensive evaluations of a food in history--in 1996 the FDA concluded that the product is safe for use in certain foods.

The human cost of anti-science activism

The classification might raise an eyebrow if you recall the "net-zero fat" of Olestra snack foods, but Icelandic Glacial's business paradigm is worth mentioning.

Water-mark: Icelandic Glacial makes a splash

1996: Fat substitute olestra hits the market amid reports of "anal leakage."

The waistland: does America look fat in this?

Soy--the commonly promoted substitute for numerous fatty foods to improve the health and well being of its consumers--but like Olestra before it, could it have a dark side?

The Hidden Dangers of Soy