My doctor recently advised me to lose weight because I am a bit overweight. I read in a journal about “fat reducing ingredients”. What are these substances, what foods are they in and are they unhealthy?

Fat reducing ingredients are used, often in combination, to replace fat in low-fat, reduced-fat and fat-free foods.

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the building blocks from which fat reduction ingredients are made. Many of these ingredients are common food components such as gelatin, starches and water. Several ingredients as well as special processing techniques are often used in combination to produce acceptable food products that are lower in fat.

For example fat-based fat reduction ingredients are actually made from fats, and thus have the same physical properties as fat, including taste, texture and mouth feel.

At expected usage levels, fat reduction ingredients are without digestive side effects. However, like fibre and many other foods we eat that are not fully absorbed, consumption of large amounts of fat-based and some carbohydrate-based ingredients may lead to common, temporary digestive effects. These effects are caused by the added bulk of these ingredients in the digestive system. Some fat-based fat reduction ingredients may affect the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. If required, manufacturers make up for potential losses by adding specified amounts of these vitamins to the products. The majority of clinical studies conducted to date suggest lower-fat foods can help people significantly reduce both the actual amount of fat, calories and the percentage of calories from fat eaten.

Fat Reducing Ingredients on the Food Label
Names on the ingredients List	Foods that May Contain Fat Replacers
Carbohydrate-based Carrageenan, cellulose, gelatin, gellan gum, gels, guar gum, maltodextrins, polydextrose, starches, xanthum gum, modified dietary fibers Carrageenan, cellulose, gelatin, gellan gum, gels, guar gum, maltodextrins, polydextrose, starches, xanthum gum, modified dietary fibers	Baked goods, cheeses, frozen desserts, gravies, mayonnaise, processed meats, puddings, salad dressings, sauces, sour cream, yoghurt
Protein-based Whey protein concentrate, microparticulated egg white and milk protein Whey protein concentrate, microparticulated egg white and milk protein	Baked goods, butter, cheese, frozen dairy desserts, mayonnaise, salad dressings, sour cream
Fat-based Caprenin, salatrimmono- and diglycerides, olestra Caprenin, salatrimmono- and diglycerides, olestra	Baked Goods, cheese, chocolate, chocolate confections, margarine, salted snacks, sour cream, spreads