Positive results on tests for steatorrhea in persons consuming olestra potato chips.
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.


METHODS
Controlled cross-over trial.


METHODS
Clinical research center and outpatient research laboratory.


METHODS
10 healthy volunteers.


METHODS
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.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
Consumption of olestra can cause false-positive results on tests for steatorrhea and may therefore lead to an erroneous diagnosis of the malabsorption syndrome.
Balasekaran
R
R
Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA.
Porter
J L
JL
Santa Ana
C A
CA
Fordtran
J S
JS
D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003672:Defecation; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019358:Fat Substitutes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013395:Sucrose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017186:Titrimetry
D004396:Coloring Agents; D019358:Fat Substitutes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D013395:Sucrose; C013692:sucrose polyester