Positive Results on Tests for Steatorrhea in Persons Consuming Olestra Potato Chips

15 February 2000 | Volume 132 Issue 4 | Pages 279-282

Background: Olestra is a nonabsorbable fat substitute that consists of fatty acids esterified to a sucrose molecule.

Objective: To determine the effect of olestra consumption on measurements of fecal fat excretion.

Design: Controlled cross-over trial.

Setting: Clinical research center and outpatient research laboratory.

Participants: 10 healthy volunteers.

Intervention: On days 1 to 6 of the study, participants consumed 5 oz of conventional potato chips per day; on days 7 to 12, they consumed 5 oz of potato chips containing 40 g of olestra per day.

Measurements: Quantitative measurement of fecal fat by the van de Kamer titration, van de Kamer gravimetric, and Jeejeebhoy gravimetric methods and qualitative assessment of fecal fat by Sudan III staining.

Results: Excellent correlation was seen among the three quantitative assays, but the van de Kamer titration method yielded lower measurements than the two gravimetric methods. When participants consumed 40 g of olestra per day, the excretion of fecal fat increased to levels observed in patients with steatorrhea caused by the malabsorption syndrome.

Conclusion: Consumption of olestra can cause false-positive results on tests for steatorrhea and may therefore lead to an erroneous diagnosis of the malabsorption syndrome.

Author and Article Information

From Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank John W. McRorie, PhD, and Nora L. Zorich, MD, PhD, for providing stool samples from earlier studies sponsored by Proctor & Gamble. They also thank Diana Santa Ana for preparation of the manuscript.

Grant Support: By U.S. Public Health grant 5-RO1-DK37172-13 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and by Southwest Digestive Disease Foundation.

Requests for Single Reprints: John S. Fordtran, MD, Baylor University Medical Center, 2nd Floor HOB, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246.

Requests To Purchase Bulk Reprints (minimum, 100 copies): the Reprints Coordinator; phone, 215-351-2657; e-mail, reprints{at}mail.acponline.org.

Current Author Addresses: Dr. Balasekaran, Mr. Porter, Ms. Santa Ana, and Dr. Fordtran: Baylor University Medical Center, 2nd Floor HOB, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246.

Author Contributions: Conception and design: J.S. Fordtran.

Analysis and interpretation of the data: R. Balasekaran, C.A. Santa Ana, J.S. Fordtran.

Drafting of the article: R. Balasekaran.

Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: R. Balasekaran, J.S. Fordtran.

Final approval of the article: J.S. Fordtran.

Provision of study materials or patients: J.L. Porter, C.A. Santa Ana.

Obtaining of funding: J.S. Fordtran.

Administrative, technical, or logistic support: J.L. Porter, C.A. Santa Ana.

Collection and assembly of data: J.L. Porter, C.A. Santa Ana.