Altered blood levels of vitamin K could be dangerous for people with bleeding disorders or taking blood thinners. Vitamin K has a role in blood thinning. Some animal studies on Olestra found liver-cell damage, raising suspicions that the product may cause potential cancer risks. Proctor and Gamble answers these accusations by saying that the liver changes noted in lab studies do not indicate cancer and long-term mouse studies do not show any evidence on cancer. Apparently, no human study on this issue is complete.
Olestra consumption causes a high risk of diarrhea and cramping.
Half of the human subjects developed diarrhea after eating three ounces of Olestra potato chips. Other studies showed that even one ounce of chips caused diarrhea and cramps in some people. Proctor and Gamble conducted a survey which indicated that snacks containing Olestra caused no more gastrointestinal problems that regular snacks. So what is it about Olestra that makes it respond in our bodies the way it does. Basically, the physical properties of Olestra are virtually identical to mineral oil, depending on how the specific oil is formulated.