Olestra is a fat substitute approved by the FDA for snack foods.       Olestra is a fat substitute approved by the FDA for snack foods. To investigate reports of gastrointestinal problems associated with olestra consumption, an experiment was carried out to compare olestra potato chips with regular potato chips (“Gastrointestinal Symptoms Following Consumption of Olestra or Regular Triglyceride Potato Chips,” Journal of the American Medical Association [1998]: 150–152). Subjects were randomly assigned to either the Olestra chip or the regular chip group. Of the 529 individuals in the joint chip group, 93 experienced gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas 90 of the 563 Read More …