lized by the body, and it does not affect the absorption of water-soluble vitamins (Prince & Welschenbach, p. 565).
Olestra interacts with the body in the lumen of the gut and does not involve the nutrient digestion, absorption, or metabolism processes. It does not effect nutrient stores that were accumulated prior to its consumption, therefore it does not deplete the body of nutrients (Peters, Lawson, Middleton, & Triebwasser, 1997, p. 1719S).
Increasing amounts of people of all ages are found to exceed their optimal body weight. Diets high in fat and obesity are associated to many health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. Since olestra is fat free, it offers a substitute for fat, and has a palatable flavor and texture. Olestra molecules are too big to be absorbed intact since they are not hydrolyzed, they pass through the body in an unchanged form, providing no calories (Doyle, 1997, pp. 370-371).
Although olestra has only been approved for snack foods, it has potential for other uses. It can be formulated for baking and frying, or for products like bread spreads. It is stable during storage at ambient temperatures and it is heat stable (it does not degrade during frying or baking) (Doyle, pp. 370-371).
Olestra is also not a pollution threat to the environment. Microorganisms in soils and sewage sludges are able to utilize olestra from discarded waste such as potato chips, as a sole source of carbon and energy (Doyle, pp. 370-371).
Studies with animals have investigated olestra's impact on nutrition and findings support its current healthy status. Clinical studies with adult male and female subjects confirmed results from animal studies. Additionally, other assessments of real life situations were conducted to determine how much or often people consumed olestra, and its potential effects. Studies of subgroups of the population, representing those who may be a nutritiona...