Weight loss fads come and go. Some quicker than others. If you don’t really remember Olean, it’s ok. It came and went about as fast as the time it took the food to pass through your system. Gross. I know. But here we are, the trend still carrying on.
Olestra is a fat substitute food additive aiming to help people consume less fat in the fatty foods they love to consume. Similar to how Ozempic is considered an “accidental” weight loss drug, Olestra was “accidentally” discovered by Procter & Gamble in 1968. It was a long hard battle to have this new food additive approved by the FDA. It wasn’t until 1996 that foods containing Olestra were on the shelves, but not without a warning label of known side effects.
To be perfectly blunt, Olean (brand name: Olestra) causes diarrhea and abdomen cramping. The exact warning found on products containing Olean reads, “This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added.” Oddly enough, also a similar side effect of the “fat shot.”
The most popular product on the shelves was Frito Lay’s potato chips, under the brand name, WOW. Kellogg’s jumped aboard only to manufacture a product by the name of “Pringle’s Light,” also made with Olean. While barely hanging on to some notoriety, both of these products were eventually discontinued by 2016.
The Olean craze took the world by storm. However, pretty much every country except the US has banned the product. To this day, Olestra still has FDA approval. We’ll see what RFK, Jr. does about it this one.
Despite the digestive controversy, a few years ago Starbucks launched the “Starbucks Oleato.” The idea here is to infuse the coffee with EVOO.
But without fail, the complaints poured in. These drinks cause stomach issues! Imagine that. Adding a laxative to an already natural laxative. Game, set… and match. Let’s please now learn the lesson and steer clear of these fat substitute oils and other food additive products. Our tushies will thank us later.