Sodium acetate and fat burning in eight resting people
What it found
Drinking sodium acetate raised energy use but did not increase fat burning the way sodium bicarbonate did, in eight healthy people.
About 80% of the acetate taken in was burned for energy over three hours.
What they found
Studies in people
Fat burning stayed flat
After drinking sodium bicarbonate, fat burning rose by 18%. After drinking sodium acetate, fat burning did not change from before the drink.
Most acetate was burned
The researchers tracked the labeled acetate and found that about 80% of it was burned for energy over the three hours. This burning almost entirely replaced the extra fat burned in the bicarbonate trial.
Energy use rose slightly
Both drinks led to a similar small rise in total energy use, around 8%. The authors note this is less than 0.5% of daily energy use.
Carbohydrate use unchanged
Neither sodium acetate nor sodium bicarbonate changed how much carbohydrate the body burned during the test.
Blood acidity shifted mildly
Both drinks caused a mild shift toward alkaline blood chemistry. The shift happened more slowly with sodium acetate than with sodium bicarbonate.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that taking in sodium acetate stops the usual rise in fat burning that happens when blood becomes mildly alkaline.
- They suggest that extra acetate might push fats toward storage instead of burning, which could help explain blood fat issues seen in dialysis patients or heavy drinkers.
- They call for more research using muscle samples to find out exactly where acetate blocks fat burning.
How it was done
Acetate levels in the body can rise after drinking alcohol, eating more fiber, or during kidney dialysis. The authors wanted to see how extra acetate changes the way the body burns fat and carbohydrates at rest.
Eight healthy adults drank a beverage containing either sodium acetate or sodium bicarbonate on two separate days, one week apart. Researchers measured their breathing and took blood and urine samples over three hours while they rested.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial lasted only three hours, so it cannot show what happens with long-term daily exposure to sodium acetate.
- Only eight people took part, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- The dose used was based on body weight and may differ from amounts typically consumed in food.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Aberdeen, Scotland
The paper
- Title
- Sodium acetate induces a metabolic alkalosis but not the increase in fatty acid oxidation observed following bicarbonate ingestion in humans
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Smith GI, Jeukendrup AE, Ball D (2007). Sodium acetate induces a metabolic alkalosis but not the increase in fatty acid oxidation observed following bicarbonate ingestion in humans. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1093/jn/137.7.1750Free full textPubMed 17585026DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error