Is Olestra Bad For You?
Also Known As: Olean
Short answer
Olestra is still permitted by the FDA, but it’s liable to give you gas, bloating, or even diarrhea. It can also confuse your body into putting on weight.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Olestra is a fat substitute without fat or calories. Although it enjoyed brief popularity in the nineties, it can cause gastrointestinal distress and may actually make you fat.
Olestra is made up of molecules that are structurally similar to fat. They're larger, however -- too large to be absorbed by the body. Olestra was designed to give you the taste and sensation of consuming something with real fat and then to pass directly out your other end.
Unfortunately, Olestra causes serious side effects in your digestive system. If you consume a product with Olestra, you may cramp up, you may get gassy or bloated, and you might even get diarrhea. Complaints about these unpleasant side effects led to Frito-Lay pulling their line of fat-free Wow! chips - the complaints were so prevalent that sales of the chips (and Frito-Lay's stock price) plummeted. Let's just say, if you consume a product with Olestra, you might be spending some time in the bathroom.
Olestra soaks up quite a bit when it passes through your body. That can include vitamins and other nutrients that your body needs. When you eat Olestra, there's a chance that it'll do more than pass out in your stool - it may take many of the good nutrients from your food as well. The upside of this is that Olestra may soak up the good with the bad. There's some evidence that it can soak up dioxins and other chemicals that can cause long-term harm and chronic health problems.
There's also evidence that Olestra confuses the body. It satiates your stomach, which begins the biochemical process for breaking down fats. Olestra, however, can't be broken down, so it continues through your digestive system without being absorbed. Eat enough Olestra, and your body will become confused when you eat fats that can be broken down - it'll transfer them into storage rather than converting them into energy. In this way, fat-free Olestra can paradoxically increase your body weight.
For now, the FDA allows Olestra on the market. This is over the objections of organizations like the Center For Science In The Public Interest, who have implored the FDA to reconsider their stance in light of the gastrointestinal problems that Olestra causes. Because the product became popular in the nineties, it may be decades yet before we understand the long-term effects of a diet that is rich in Olestra - if it does cause chronic health conditions, we don’t yet know about them.
Possible short-term side effects
- diarrhea
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bloating
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gas
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stomach cramps
Possible long-term side effects
- weight gain
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interference with vitamin absorption
Benefits
- no fat
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no calories
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no cholesterol
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absorption of dioxins
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Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Sean McNulty
Published on: 10-10-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Sean McNulty
Published on: 10-10-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016