Katie Waldeck

When you think about losing weight, drinking soda pop isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, it’s probably way up there with fast food cheeseburgers and doughnuts as things not to eat when you’re dieting. But Pepsico is set to change all that — and no, it’s not another diet soda!

“Pepsi Special,” released today in Japan, contains a dietary fiber that its distributor claims will reduce the body’s ability to absorb fat. Pepsi and its distributor, Suntory International, are marketing the soda to health-conscious men over the age of 30. Pepsi isn’t even the first company in Japan to market a fat-burning soda — Kirin, who may be better known for their beer, released a soda with similar claims earlier this year.

But let’s get down to the facts here: does this stuff actually burn fat? Well, yes, sort of, technically.  Dietary fibers, like the dextrin contained in Pepsi Special,  do sometimes prevent small amounts of fat from being absorbed, but the amount is so small that it’s not likely to make a difference.

For now, the drink is only for sale  in Japan. But will it cross the pond and make it to the shelves of American grocery stores? Probably not. As NBC News notes, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow foods like candy and soda to have fortified nutrients, like the dextrin in Pepsi Special.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/pepsi-unveils-a-weight-loss-soda.html#ixzz2CLInfNff