Olestra, the fat substitute was first synthesized at Procter and Gamble in 1968 by researchers looking for a way to increase premature babies’ fat intake.
Olestra’s chemical structure is similar to that of regular fat – a triglyceride, but with important differences.
A triglyceride is composed of a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids attached whereas olestra is made of a sucrose molecule with six to eight fatty acids attached. That is why olestra and fat have similar physicals and chemical properties. And this, in turn, is why olestra food taste the same as triglyceride foods.
Olestra is synthesized from sucrose and vegetable oils. Olestra prom short chain fatty acids is solid, whereas olestra produced from unsaturated fatty acids is liquid at room temperature.
The olestra molecule is not digested, so it s no absorbed it passes though the body, adding no fat or calories. Olestra passes through the gastrointestinal track because digestive enzymes are prevented from breaking down the sucrose core by all of the surrounding fatty acids.
Olestra can help people lose weight, benefits those at high risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, obesity and colon cancer. Olestra can also inhibit cholesterol absorption and lower blood cholesterol level.
What is olestra?
