Omaha Study of Olestra Finds Heart Benefits

      The food additive olestra may have some benefits for people with heart problems, according to research led by a Nebraska doctor.

      Dr. Sam Mehr, director of nuclear medicine at Bergan Mercy Medical Center, tested the potential cardiac benefits of olestra by having 19 people eat banana muffins - some made with olestra and some made without it.

      His research team''s work, which was revealed Tuesday at a conference in Washington, D.C., determined that people with early signs of heart disease showed improvement after consuming only one muffin made with olestra.

      The research team used a PET scan - a medical imaging tool that can monitor the activity in the heart - to measure the amount of blood flowing into the hearts of the people who ate muffins.

      The blood flow, also called perfusion, increased 11 percent to 12 percent for people in the study who showed an early sign of heart disease that is known as coronary artery endothelial mediated vasomotor dysfunction.

      Mehr, also an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said that increased blood flow is important in reducing heart disease because it makes the heart muscle a more efficient and effective pump.

      "This evidence clearly indicates the benefits of a low-fat meal on blood flow to the heart and is significant because coronary artery endothelial dysfunction, a precursor to much more serious heart conditions, can be reversible," he said.

      Researchers did not note any change in taste in the olestra muffins or any negative side effects. Olestra, originally marketed as a fat-free substitute in foods such as potato chips, has drawn criticism from some consumer groups because of complaints that it caused gastrointestinal side effects ranging from gas to bloody stools for some people.

      Mehr said he obtained funding for the study from the Procter & Gamble Nutrition Science Institute. Procter & Gamble Co. is the maker of the Olean brand of olestra. Mehr said that the funding source did not taint the study, which used rigid testing standards.

     

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