title: Nutritional implications of fat substitutes.
abstract: The possibility of replacing fats in foods through the use of alternative ingredients has generated substantial interest among food industry and nutrition professionals as well as among the lay public and news media. However, even in academic circles, there is a tendency to consider "fat substitutes" as a homogeneous group, when they are not, and also to make unproven assumptions regarding their likely efficacy in reducing fat intake and aiding in maintenance of appropriate energy balance. Governmental and industrial bodies have tended to place much greater emphasis on the potential risks of these materials than on their possible benefits. A reasoned consideration of the nutritional implications of fat substitutes examines what these materials are, how they might be used, and how they might affect eating behavior and nutritional status in the general population. The existing literature suggests that although the risks of existing and proposed fat substitutes are probably limited, their nutritional benefits are largely unproven.
authors.affiliation: Agricultural and Food Research Council, Institute of Food Research, Reading, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mela
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D019358:Fat Substitutes; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D019358:Fat Substitutes; D011506:Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol