Pepsi Special - Fat Blocking Soda

Pepsi of Japan had launched a new fiber-infused version of its soda named Pepsi Special. For now there are no plans of launching the soda outside of the Japanese market.

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited, the sole distributor of Pepsi in Japan, says the beverage contains “indigestible dextrin.” Indigestible dextrin is a nice way of saying dietary fiber. Suntory claims that the added fiber helps to reduce the amount of fat that is absorbed by the body. That claim is leading to a marketing campaign by Suntory that proclaims it to be a "fat-blocking soda." They further claim that the new drink reduces the rise in triglycerides in the blood that normally occurs after eating.

Response to the new drink has been mixed.

Dr. Melina Jampolis, a nutrition specialist, says that adding fiber to normally unhealthy foods is akin to "putting lipstick on a pig." For those not familiar with the expression, it means that no matter you try to dress it up, it will still be soda. Jampolis that while many foods that naturally contain fiber are shown to help block cholesterol intake there is no proof that an artificial ingredient has the same affect on humans. A 2006 Japanese study showed that dextrin fed rats did absorb less fat but no human clinical trials are known to have taken place.

The counter-point is that if the dextrin fails to live up to its marketing claims that there still might be a weight loss benefit. A 2001 study by the University of Washington in Seattle showed that dextrin intake led to testers feeling full faster leading to eating less. On average the testers reduced their calorie intake 72 calories per meal. By itself that may not seem like much but those reduced calories can quickly add up over time.

 
At around the 1:30 mark of the video they address what my first reaction was.... that the extra fiber in your diet would lead to other, perhaps unwanted, side affects. :eek:
 
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