Health Topics for Nutrition

Fake fats

Americans know the importance of eating less fat to reduce their risk for chronic diseases. In fact, many people are making an effort to reduce fat by making healthy food choices. In response to consumer demand, food manufacturers are providing us with more low-fat or fat-free food products, some of which use fat replacements. Fat replacements give food the flavor and texture of being high fat without the extra calories.

Carbohydrate fat replacements are usually used in salad dressings, sauce mixes, margarine spreads, gravies, baked goods, and frozen foods, such as ice cream. They have approximately half the calories of fat and have the advantage of being heat stable. Therefore, they can be used in baking.

Protein fat replacements have also been developed for use in frozen desserts, pizza cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese. These protein fat replacements are made from milk and/or egg white protein and generally have better consumer acceptance than many other fat replacements. But they still contribute some calories to the diet.

A fat replacement called olestra is a modified fat, which is not digested by the human body. It contributes no extra calories and has an appealing taste. It can be used in both heated and cold foods. A high intake of olestra can lead to mal-absorption of fat- soluble vitamins, diarrhea, and rectal leakage. Products containing olestra have extra fat-soluble vitamins added to combat these problems. If you eat olestra products, do so in moderation.

Fat replacements have made their way to the American table, however their long-term benefits and safety are not known. More and more of us are consuming low-fat or fat-free foods. Despite this, Americans are getting fatter. Obesity is at an all time high. It seems clear that the principles of variety, balance, and moderation should be practiced as we see more and more fat-free products on the supermarket shelves.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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