Is olestra consumption associated with changes in dietary intake, serum lipids, and body weight?

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

There is considerable controversy regarding the effects of fat substitutes (such as the non-caloric fat substitute, olestra) on Americans' diet and health. This report gives associations of olestra consumption (in savory snacks) with changes in nutrient intake, serum lipid concentrations, and body weight 1 y after these snacks became available nationally in the United States.

METHODS:

Participants were 1178 adults recruited from three large U.S. cities. At baseline (before the availability of olestra), participants attended a clinic visit and completed questionnaires (including a food-frequency questionnaire), provided fasting blood samples, and had height and weight measured. The clinic visit was repeated about 1 y later, after the introduction of olestra-containing snacks in the marketplace. Olestra consumption was categorized as "none," "very low" (>0 to <0.4 g/d), "low" (>/=0.4 to <2.0 g/d), and "moderate/high" (>/=2.0 g/d).

RESULTS:

Twenty-five percent of participants reported consuming olestra-containing savory snacks in the preceding month, but only 2% were categorized as moderate/high consumers. Men reported nearly twice as much olestra consumption as women (1.22 versus 0.68 g/d, P = 0.01). Among moderate/high olestra consumers, total energy and carbohydrate intakes increased by 209 kcal/d and 37 g/d, compared with decreases of 87 kcal/d and 14 g/d, respectively, among non-consumers (both Ps for trend = 0.01), corresponding to non-significant changes in percentages of energy from carbohydrate and total fat. Olestra consumption was not associated with statistically significant changes in serum lipids or body weight.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study found very modest changes in total diet, but no changes in serum lipids or body weight, associated with consumption of olestra-containing savory snacks. However, the low use of olestra by the study sample limited the ability of this study to detect significant effects.

• Authors: Jessie Satia-Abouta, Alan R Kristal, Ruth E Patterson, Marian L Neuhouser, John C Peters, Cheryl L Rock, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Lawrence J Cheskin, Mark D Thornquist
• Journal: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) (Nutrition) Vol. 19 Issue 9 Pg. 754-9 (Sep 2003) ISSN: 0899-9007 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12921885 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Fat Substitutes
• Fatty Acids
• Lipids
• Sucrose
• sucrose polyester

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Diet Surveys
• Energy Intake
• Fat Substitutes (administration & dosage)
• Fatty Acids (administration & dosage)
• Feeding Behavior
• Female
• Humans
• Lipids (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Product Surveillance, Postmarketing
• Sucrose (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• United States