Essay, Research Paper: Olestra...No Thanks

The discovery of olestra seem to be the answer almost everyone has bee looking for when dealing with fats. This new substance was to be used to make many oil made products without the fat content of what was being used today. The most incredible outcome of this product, is that you cannot taste the difference. After years of testing, and getting approved by the FDA, researchers have found that it is actually harmful to people. They found that it effect the digestive system and also dilutes a large amount of necessary vitamins within the body. There are many arguments for and against the use of olestra today, and will continue to evolve until we are sure what the facts are.
Olestra, developed by Proctor and Gamble, is a cooking product containing neither calories nor fat. It is made from mainly soybeans and cottonseeds, which is chemically made out of sugar and vegetable oil. If you break olestra down, you would find that it consists of molecule so tightly packed, they can slide right through the body without being digested.
After two years of testing, the FDA finally approved it to go on the market. Within the first eight weeks, more than twenty million bags of chips, crackers, and other snack foods were sold to consumers that had olestra, and were amazed what Proctor and Gamble had accomplished. The public was very satisfied that not only did the chips have no fat, they tasted as good as they did before the breakthrough. When it first came out they producers were obligated to print on the back of the bags that told them the side effects of olestra. These warnings would say something like, "Cramping" or "Loose
stools," but that still didn't stop from consumers from buying the products. "Many people seem eager to try the new chips, which is perhaps a testament to American's obsession with fat."(Pro Health Inc.) One ounce of regular chips contains 10 grams of fat and 150 calories, while chips made with olestra contains no fat and only 75 calories.
Now that you heard all the good things about olestra, you probably think that it is a nutrition breakthrough. What you don't know, is that there are more side effects than you think when cooking with olestra. So far, we know through research, that eating products made from olestra in large amounts can cause cramping and loose stools. These types of side effects are due to the formation of the product. It is put together chemically in a way that the body cannot digest it, and that is why you might have problems during digestion, because you body does not know how to react to it. " We don't know what the long- term effects will be"(Oregon Health Services).
Besides the subject of digestion from this product, the main problem with olestra is the absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. We know that Vitamins are very necessary for good health in the body. And we also know that Vitamins A, D, E, and K, are absorbed through fat. If olestra soaks up fat, how can we get our Vitamins that we need? Tests prove, that olestra does, in fact, absorb Vitamins and nutrients causing them to not get absorbed by the body. Modern day tests have shown that with these essential Vitamins can protect against many types of cancers. Therefore, you are putting yourself at more risk of cancer than before. The other nutrients that are disrupted by olestra are carotinoids, beta carotene, and lycopene, with are found in vegetables and can also help prevent cancer.
You have now been clearly informed about both sides dealing with olestra. Although it seemed to be a terrific breakthrough, I think it is not worth it. Since people
are making money from this product, I don't see why they should be taking it off the market. I just think that people should be more informed about what they are buying. If they have no problem eating a product that could make them screw up their digestive system, let them go ahead. If they think that they don't need protection against cancer, that's ok to. Olestra is vaguely related to tobacco and alcohol use. We let people have a choice if they want to ruin their lives. If they do take that rout, it is their own problem. As for me, I don't think I'll be eating any WOW chips any time soon.