Acute effects of the food preservative propionic acid on glucose metabolism in humans
Gail K Adler, Ezra S Hornik, Gillian Murray, Shreya Bhandari, Yogesh Yadav, Mahyar Heydarpour, Rita Basu, Rajesh Garg, Amir Tirosh, Gail K Adler, Ezra S Hornik, Gillian Murray, Shreya Bhandari, Yogesh Yadav, Mahyar Heydarpour, Rita Basu, Rajesh Garg, Amir Tirosh
Abstract
Introduction: Propionic acid (PA) is a common food preservative generally recognized as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration; however, exogenous PA has effects on glucose metabolism that are not fully understood. Our preclinical studies demonstrated exogenous PA increases glucagon, norepinephrine, and endogenous glucose production (EGP).
Research design and methods: We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 28 healthy men and women to determine the effect of PA (1500 mg calcium propionate) on these factors. Subjects had two study visits, each preceded by a 1 week, PA-free diet. During each visit, glucose, insulin, glucagon, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and EGP were assessed for 2 hours after oral administration of PA/placebo under resting conditions (protocol 1) and during either a euglycemic (~85-90 mg/dL) or hypoglycemic (~65-70 mg/dL) hyperinsulinemic clamp (protocol 2).
Results: PA, as compared with placebo, significantly increased: (1) glucagon and norepinephrine during protocol 1; (2) glucagon, norepinephrine, and epinephrine under euglycemic conditions in protocol 2; and (3) norepinephrine, epinephrine, and EGP under hypoglycemic conditions in protocol 2.
Conclusion: Oral consumption of PA leads to inappropriate activation of the insulin counterregulatory hormonal network. This inappropriate stimulation highlights PA as a potential metabolic disruptor.
Keywords: catecholamines; endogenous glucose production; food safety; glucagon.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: None declared.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Figures
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Figure 3
Effects of propionic acid (PA)…
Figure 3
Effects of propionic acid (PA) vs placebo on glucose (A and B), insulin…
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- Center for Disease and Prevention . Obesity and overweight, 2021. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm
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- US Food and Drug Administration . CFR - Code of federal regulations Title 21. In: Administration USFaD, editor 2019.
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Blood Glucose*
- Cross-Over Studies
- Female
- Food Preservatives*
- Glucose
- Glucose Clamp Technique
- Humans
- Male
- Propionates
- United States
- Blood Glucose
- Food Preservatives
- Propionates
- Glucose
- propionic acid
- Full Text Sources
- Medical
![Figure 3](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/8314753/bin/bmjdrc-2021-002336f03.jpg)
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Source: PubMed