FYI: Can Japan's Latest Soft Drink Really Help You Lose Weight?
Pepsi Special SuntoryPepsi Special claims to block the body's ability to absorb fat. How does that work? Soft drinks and weight loss don't usually go hand-in-hand. But Pepsi aims to change that with a new drink the company has just launched in Japan, called Pepsi Special. The soft drink has an added ingredient, dextrin, that the distributor, Suntory, says reduces your body's ability to absorb fat. So does that mean you can finally enjoy your soda with a slice of cheesy pizza, hold the guilt? A 2006 Japanese study indicated that rats fed dextrin and fat at the same time absorbed less fat than rats that weren't fed dextrin. The Japanese government certifies Pepsi Special and another dextrin-containing soda, Kirin Mets Cola, as "foods for specific health use." But what works for rats may not work for people, and anyway, "There's no study that shows that putting dextrin in a...