Olestra

1
Olestra

• Frankenfood or Wonderfat?
• By
• Danielle Strohacker
• Larry Burroughs

2
Objectives

• Brief History of Olestra
• Do Students make food choices based on
  nutritional value, or convenience?
• What are the potential risks and health effects
  of Olestra?
• What are Trans Fatty Acids?
• Are the dietary changes worth the potential
  health risks?

3
In the Beginning

• First created in 1968 by researchers for Proctor
  Gamble, looking for a product to increase fat
  intake of premature babies.
• Ended up creating sucrose polyester
• Could NOT be used for babies because it was
  indigestible
• 1975 PG sought approval to use Olestra as a
  drug to lower blood Cholesterol levels
• Studies failed to prove success, so it could not
  be placed on the market

4
A Fat Substitute

• 1987 PG requested that FDA consider Olestra as
  a fat replacement in shortening, cooking oil, and
  savory snacks such as potato chips and crackers
• 1990 Approval was upheld, so PG proposed that
  Olestra would be used as a fat substitute in
  snacks
• January 1996, FDA approved the use of Olestra
• PG has spent over 500 million on research and
  development of Olestra products

5
Do Students Understand?

• I surveyed 50 students
• Are food choices made on nutritional values or
  convenience?
• 60 said they choose foods based on convenience
  or availability
• 40 ( mostly women ) based their choice on
  nutrient and fat content

6
Convenience Risks

• People who are eating foods based on convenience
  increase their risk of digesting excess amounts
  of Trans Fatty Acids
• Why are TFAs such a health risk?
• Complications associated with ingesting TFAs?
• What are Trans Fatty Acids ?

7
What is a Trans Fatty Acid?

• Artificially produced solid fats
• Behave more like saturated fats, than unsaturated
  fats
• Usually found in convenience foods .. Such as
  baked goods, oils, margarine and shortening

8
Chemical Structure
9
Health Concerns about TFAs

• Negative effect on bodys Cholesterol regulation,
  by increasing LDL ( bad) and lowering HDL (
  good)
• Unlike normal fats, Olestra passes through our
  digestive tract unabsorbed
• It binds with vitamins A, D, E, and K and carries
  them out of our bodies, removing these valuable
  nutrients

10
Short Term Physical Effects

• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, bloody
  uncontrollably loose stools
• other toilet traumas
• Risk of Obesity
• Possible links with diabetes

11
Coronary Issues.

• Trans Fatty Acids are associated with increased
  risks of coronary heart disease
• Over 40,000 premature coronary heart disease
  deaths annually are linked to the ingestion of
  excess Trans Fatty Acids
• 2000 Health Canada declined to approve the use
  of Olestra in Canada as a food additive

12
The affects of Olestra

• Olestra, also called Olean is a fat substitute
  created from sucrose which has eight fatty acid
  residues
• It is an artificial fat, too LARGE for the body
  to process
• So it behaves like a wonderfat ( not TFAs) that
  has NO fat-like effect on the body
• Inhibits the absorption of fat-soluble Carotenoids

13
What is a Carotenoid?

• Natural pigments commonly found in plants and
  animals
• Some provide vitamin A activity
• The carotenoid with the greatest vitamin A
  activity is beta-carotene
• An orange pigment and vitamin A precursor found
  in plants
• A precursor is a compound that can be converted
  into an active vitamin

14
How they Function

• Carotenoids act as a biological antioxidant,
  protecting our cells from harmful free radicals
• They can be helpful in preventing many types of
  cancer
• Lung, cervical, larynx, and some cases of throat
  and mouth cancers

15
Its your Choice.

• Olestra will reduce the amount of trans fatty
  acids and calories ingested by our bodies
• It increases the chance of gastrointestinal
  issues, and cancer
• It may lead to your body becoming malnourished

16
Worth the risk?

• In conclusion.
• We believe that after our research and studies,
  the negative effects of Olestra are greater than
  the benefits to our bodies

17
Buyer Beware !!

• Select foods of nutritional value
• Understand the consequences of convenience foods
• You have control over the amount of trans fatty (
  or any fats ) that you digest
• Be Smart in your decisions its your life!
• Make healthy choices when it comes to your body
  and its nutritional needs