Calcium propionate is a food additive present in many foods, especially baked goods. It acts as a preservative to help extend shelf life by interfering with the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. Although it has benefits for food manufacturers a 2019 study raises questions about how safe it is to eat.
The study, lead by Amir Tirosh, MD, at Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Aviv, suggests that propionate can alter metabolism in ways that increase the risk of diabetes, even when present only in small amounts. The additive triggered complex hormonal changes that raised blood sugar and insulin levels in both mice and humans. In the mice, consumption of propionate led to high blood sugar levels in the short term and weight gain and insulin resistance in the long term (after 20 weeks). In a small trial involving humans, people who consumed propionate experienced temporary increases in insulin resistance over the space of a few hours compared with those who didn't consume the additive.
While this early research does not prove that propionate causes diabetes, the findings are concerning given how widely propionate is used. In addition to bread and baked goods, propionate is commonly used in dairy products, especially cheese, and in meats, beer, sport drinks, commercially prepared salads such as potato salad, condiments such as vinegar and mustard, soups, sauces and dried or otherwise processed mushrooms, beans and nut butters.
Because it is so widely used and still considered safe by the FDA and DOA, it is very hard to avoid in any processed food.
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