A ‘special’ version of Pepsi’s cola drink has gone on sale today in
Japan, with bold claims of weight loss and lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol
coming from the soft drinks giant.
Funnily enough the drink will be named ‘Pepsi Special’, and will be
distributed by Suntory International, who is hoping for a similar hit as
the Japanese fat-busting drink Mets Cola, released by the beer company
Kirin only a few months previously.
Both drinks contain an indigestible form
of the light carbohydrate dextrin; occasionally used as a fibre
supplement. Dextrin inhibits the body’s ability to absorb fat while
eating and also reduces the level of ‘blood triglycerides’ in your
bloodstream and bad LDL cholesterol. If that wasn’t enough though, it
also manages to help keep HDL, the good cholesterol.
These claims are based on a 2006 study by Japan’s National Institute
of Health and Nutrition, conducted on rats that were fed dextrin. The
study’s results went some way to showing that dextrin can help in
reducing the absorption of fat in the body and also helping to bring
down cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately no information has been released in regards to the
drink’s sugar or corn-syrup content in the drink in comparison to the
regular Pepsi drink spokesman said it would have a ‘crisp refreshing
and unique’ aftertaste.
Pepsi Special will have a unique look, being sold in a ‘luxury’ gold
and black bottle with the Pepsi logo on the side of the bottle. The
price will be initially set at 150Yen (£1.20), only slightly more than a
typical 500ml bottle of regular Pepsi sold in the UK. However, there
has been nothing said by either Pepsi or Suntory International regarding
a European or U.S. release date.
One thing that is clear though is just who the drink could appeal to,
going off the humorous advert that Pepsi have posted on their website.
The ad depicts a young businessman who has to make a choice between a
woman dressed in a pizza costume and another wearing a burger outfit.
Basically it is claimed that the man will not have to discard either, as
long as he drinks Pepsi Special. It would seem the soft drink giant is
keen to appeal to young, health-conscious men who enjoy such drinks but
are also worried about their weight, as well as possibly previous
customers who have stopped buying soft drinks for health purposes.
The drink has been met with scepticism though by some people though.
Sue Baic, a spokesperson from the British Dietetic Association,
questioned just how effective the drink was in its fat-busting claims.
She said: “I think this drink is unlikely to make much difference to how
much fat you absorb. I can’t see any studies that show dextrin works in
people. Even if it has an effect on rats that doesn’t mean it will
translate into humans. I suggest a higher fibre diet with fruit,
vegetables and whole grains would be a better way to fill you up and
make you feel less hungry. Plus then you would get the benefits of all
the vitamins and minerals as well.”
It is debatable just how ‘healthy’ though these types of drinks are
due to the high volume of additives that are packed inside, many of
which are disastrous for teeth. In addition, high sugar content will do
nothing good for weight and in the long run can lead to health
complications such as diabetes.
From Medical Specialists’ experience, and from contact with our
thousands of patients, success comes firstly from factors such as
lifestyle improvements such as a healthier diet and more exercise. Help
can also be found from clinically proven treatments for obesity such as
Xenical or XLS-Medical Fat Binder.
It may be also questionable whether or not a fizzy drink can have a
genuine impact on your good and bad cholesterol levels. Luckily, for
suitable patients, we can provide cholesterol-lowering statin
medications Crestor (Rosuvastatin) and Lipitor (Atorvastatin). Along
with diet, they lower ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL-C), increase ‘good’
cholesterol (HDL-C), and also slow the progression of atherosclerosis in
adults with high cholesterol. We are pleased to inform our patients
that we now also offer legal generic Atorvastatin, with prices from as
little as just £11.25 per pack.
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