This food additive could increase your risk of diabetes and obesity
| Jun 4, 2019, 22:00 IST
A new study has found that a common food additive could make you gain weight and increase your chance of developing diabetes. Researchers say the additive raises the levels of the hormones linked with the two health conditions.
"Understanding how ingredients in food affect the body’s metabolism at the molecular and cellular level could help us develop simple but effective measures to tackle the dual epidemics of obesity and diabetes," study author Gökhan S. Hotamışlıgil, a professor of genetics and metabolism and director of the Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research at Harvard T. H. Chan School, told a news portal.
The study's findings suggest this food additive could be the cause of a wide range of health issues. It is called propionate, which is a fatty acid that is used to keep food items fresh and protect against mould. Propionate is found in the following items:
- Dairy products like milk, cheese and puddings
- Processed meats like sausage casings and tinned fish
- Diet foods
- Energy drinks
- Beer
For the study, the team examined propionate in mice. The results showed this additive activated the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a crucial role in automatic functions like heart rate. The team found this caused the blood sugar levels to spike. This resulted in the mice becoming insulin resistant, as well as caused them to gain weight.
Based on the findings, researchers believe that propionate is an endocrine disruptor. "Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that are usually produced for commercial purposes that accidentally interfere with the normal function of hormones," Dr Mansur E. Shomali, an endocrinologist at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, told a news portal. Adding, "This can contribute to a wide array of health conditions because hormones play such important roles in the human body."
To understand the additive's impact on humans, the team created another study that included 14 participants. Seven participants had a gram of propionate in their food, while the rest ingested a placebo. The group that had propionate were found to have a similar experience as the mice, an indication that propionate is more than likely an endocrine disruptor.
"Obesity and diabetes are complicated conditions that are due to genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors," Shomali told a news portal. Adding, "The incidence of obesity and diabetes has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Since the human gene pool has not changed during that time, researchers are looking for environmental factors."
More research is needed to fully understand propionate more clearly. The study's findings have brought researchers a step closer in developing better treatment options for the two health conditions.
"Understanding how ingredients in food affect the body’s metabolism at the molecular and cellular level could help us develop simple but effective measures to tackle the dual epidemics of obesity and diabetes," study author Gökhan S. Hotamışlıgil, a professor of genetics and metabolism and director of the Sabri Ülker Center for Metabolic Research at Harvard T. H. Chan School, told a news portal.
The study's findings suggest this food additive could be the cause of a wide range of health issues. It is called propionate, which is a fatty acid that is used to keep food items fresh and protect against mould. Propionate is found in the following items:
- Dairy products like milk, cheese and puddings
- Processed meats like sausage casings and tinned fish
- Diet foods
- Energy drinks
- Beer
For the study, the team examined propionate in mice. The results showed this additive activated the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a crucial role in automatic functions like heart rate. The team found this caused the blood sugar levels to spike. This resulted in the mice becoming insulin resistant, as well as caused them to gain weight.
Based on the findings, researchers believe that propionate is an endocrine disruptor. "Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that are usually produced for commercial purposes that accidentally interfere with the normal function of hormones," Dr Mansur E. Shomali, an endocrinologist at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, told a news portal. Adding, "This can contribute to a wide array of health conditions because hormones play such important roles in the human body."
To understand the additive's impact on humans, the team created another study that included 14 participants. Seven participants had a gram of propionate in their food, while the rest ingested a placebo. The group that had propionate were found to have a similar experience as the mice, an indication that propionate is more than likely an endocrine disruptor.
"Obesity and diabetes are complicated conditions that are due to genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors," Shomali told a news portal. Adding, "The incidence of obesity and diabetes has grown dramatically over the past two decades. Since the human gene pool has not changed during that time, researchers are looking for environmental factors."
More research is needed to fully understand propionate more clearly. The study's findings have brought researchers a step closer in developing better treatment options for the two health conditions.
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