Additive used to stop food turning mouldy could increase risk of obesity and diabetes

Researchers are now calling on the FDA to investigate the use of propionate in food

Sarah Young
Wednesday 24 April 2019 16:19 BST
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An additive that’s widely used in bread and other baked goods has been linked to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes.

A new study has found a correlation between the consumption of propionate – an ingredient used to stop food turning mouldy – and an increase in levels of hormones that are associated with risk of obesity and diabetes.

The surging rates of obesity and diabetes over the past 50 years has led experts to believe that certain ingredients, especially those used to preserve food, could be a contributing factor.

However, until now there has been little research into the impact specific additives can have on a person’s health.

The study was led by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in collaboration with researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Sheba Medical Centre in Israel, and combined data from randomised trials in both mice and humans.

First, researchers gave doses of propionate to mice and found that it rapidly activated the sympathetic nervous system.

This led to a surge in hormones, including glucagon, norepinephrine, and a newly discovered gluconeogenic hormone called fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4).

In turn, the mice began to produce more glucose from their liver cells, leading to hyperglycemia – a medical term for a high blood sugar (glucose) level, which is a common problem for people with diabetes.

What’s more, the researchers found that the mice experienced significant weight gain, as well as insulin resistance – where the body is either constantly producing insulin and wears cells out, or is unable to produce enough, leading to type 2 diabetes.

To determine how the findings would translate to humans, the researchers used a double-blinded placebo-controlled study that included 14 participants.

The participants were randomised into two groups: One group received a meal containing one gram of propionate as an additive, and the other was given a meal containing a placebo.

Blood samples were then collected before the meal, within 15 minutes of eating the meal, and every 30 minutes thereafter for four consecutive hours.

The researchers found that people who consumed the meal containing propionate had significant increases in norepinephrine as well as increases in glucagon and FABP4 soon after eating the meal.

Just like the mice, the results indicated that propionate may act as a “metabolic disruptor” which could potentially increase the risk for diabetes and obesity in humans.

As a result of the findings the researchers are now calling on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate whether or not propionate is safe to use in food preparation.

“The dramatic increase in the incidence of obesity and diabetes over the past 50 years suggests the involvement of contributing environmental and dietary factors,” said professor of medicine Amir Tirosh, who works at Sackler School of Medicine in Tel-Aviv.

“One such factor that warrants attention is the ingredients in common foods. We are exposed to hundreds of these chemicals on a daily basis, and most have not been tested in detail for their potential long-term metabolic effects.”

According to Diabetes UK, more people than ever have diabetes, and, if nothing changes, more than five million be diagnosed with the condition in the UK by 2025.

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The NHS reports that obesity affects around one in four adults in the UK and around one in five children aged 10 to 11.

It also estimates that obesity and being overweight contribute to at least one in every 13 deaths in Europe.

The full study was published today by medical journal Science Translational Medicine.

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