Glycerol

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Water retention after dehydration²

  In men, glycerol taken by mouth with fluids helped the body hold onto more water after dehydration.

• Open question

  Fluid retention and stamina³

  In studies, glycerol helped people hold onto more water than plain water did, but whether it boosts stamina is still unclear.

• Concern

  Gut acrolein formation⁴

  Gut bacteria can turn glycerol from food into acrolein, and people who ate more glycerol had more acrolein markers in their urine.

• Open question

  Body temperature during exercise⁵

  In people, drinking glycerol with water before exercising in heat led to more sweating and a lower body temperature.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Meat compound detoxification⁷

  Gut bacteria used glycerol to turn a meat compound into a less harmful one.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Impurities in a food additive⁶

  Glycerol samples held very low levels of arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium, and experts said the current limits should be lowered.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.