Is it safe to eat foods containing Olestra during pregnancy?
Olestra is a fat substitute that’s found in some low-fat snack foods, like chips. It’s a synthetic mix of sugar and vegetable oil that is designed to pass through the body undigested. While there’s no hard evidence that Olestra is harmful to your baby, you may want to limit its use during pregnancy. Here’s why: • It can deplete the body of the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) and interfere with the absorption of carotenoids such as the beta carotene that is found in carrots. • It can lead to a range of unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, greasy stools and all-round discomfort) at a time when you may already be dealing with constipation, nausea and other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms.
