In an effort to manage their weight, more and more people are looking for food that tastes good, but does not contain excessive amounts of calories. Scientific studies show that people tend to consume a stable amount of food, regardless of the amount of calories and fat in it. Therefore, it can be assumed that a decrease in the content of fat and calories in the diet leads to an overall decrease in the number of calories consumed. When high-calorie foods were included in the study, healthy, normal-weight or overweight women between the ages of twenty and forty-four took in an additional 120 calories. However, later, at dinner, they did not feel a decrease in appetite. Definitely, eating low-calorie foods plays a significant role in weight loss. But simply eliminating fat from your diet is not necessarily the best solution. When fat substitutes are present in dishes, they should replace the sensations provided by fats, namely, have a similar aroma, taste, texture and volume, while being sources of fewer calories. The removal of fat from cheeses results in a tough texture. Low-fat puddings, salad dressings, soups, and dairy products become watery unless they contain extenders (components added to the main product to make it cheaper) or fat simulants. In baked goods, fat contributes to the softness of the product, eliminates lumps and slows down the spoilage process. Fat substitutes accompany the production of low-fat and non-fat products, since the latter are a worthy alternative to high-fat products. Is it still necessary to practice moderation in eating such foods? Absolutely necessary. Overeating lean foods also leads to an excess of calories in the body. Regular use of fat substitutes in chips, mayonnaise, frozen desserts, baked goods, allows some obese people to reduce the amount of fat they consume by a third and follow the advice of nutritionists to follow a diet with a minimum fat content. Moreover, such people can reduce the number of calories they consume to 500-200 per day. However, the consumer interested in weight management should be aware that eating low-fat meals is not an absolute guarantee of calorie reduction, because low-fat foods do not always contain fewer calories. Thus, fat substitutes present in many margarines, pates and sweets have the potential to minimize the calorie content of the product, as well as the content of harmful trans-fatty acids and saturated fats, which is important for people who regularly consume such food.
Carbohydrate-based fat substitutes are: dextrins, polydextrose, modified starch, oat fiber, prune paste. These products can be used as thickeners for frozen desserts, dairy products, ketchups, sauces, baked goods. Fat substitutes with a protein base – from milk or eggs, are present in some low-fat sour-milk products, bakery products, margarines, soup and other dressings, mayonnaise. Many of the fat substitutes are predominantly physiologically beneficial. People who eat low-fat diets experience weight loss, normalization of blood lipids, and a decrease in blood clots. Eating meals with soluble oat fiber leads to a decrease in weight and systolic blood pressure, normalization of blood lipid levels and increased glucose tolerance. How harmless are industrial fat substitutes? In general, most fat substitutes are considered completely safe when used sparingly. However, when consumed in large quantities, polydextrose has a laxative effect, while excessive consumption of olestra (olina) often leads to an unnecessary loss of some fat-soluble vitamins. Long-term studies are needed to find out the true health value of certain fat substitutes. According to recent scientific research, the idea of including high quality fat substitutes in your diet is going to play a critical role in minimizing your fat intake and overall calorie intake.