Sodium propionate supplementation in 32 people living with HIV
What it found
In 32 people living with HIV, taking sodium propionate for 12 weeks improved blood fats, long-term blood sugar and gut bacteria.
Participants also reported less physical pain and better mental health.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood fats and sugar
Long-term blood sugar levels and total cholesterol fell during the study. The ratio of bad to good cholesterol also dropped. Triglycerides and short-term blood sugar did not change.
Immune cell changes
CD4 helper cells rose while regulatory T cells and two other inflammatory T cell types fell. A pro-inflammatory signal called IL-2 decreased, but another called IL-17a rose during the supplement period before falling again.
Gut bacteria shifts
By the end of the follow-up, certain bacterial families had grown while others shrank. About half the participants said their bowel movements felt more regular, especially those who previously had loose stools.
Quality of life scores
Participants reported slightly less physical pain and less trouble doing daily tasks. Their self-rated mental health also showed a steady rise across the study.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that sodium propionate improved metabolic markers and reduced inflammatory immune responses in people living with HIV.
- They suggest it might lower the risk of heart problems and support long-term gut health.
- They call for larger randomised trials to confirm these effects.
How it was done
People living with HIV often face heart disease, gut problems and ongoing inflammation even when their virus is controlled by medication. The authors wanted to see if sodium propionate could improve metabolism, immunity, gut bacteria and daily quality of life.
The authors gave 32 adults living with HIV one gram of sodium propionate a day as capsules for 12 weeks. They then followed the participants for another 12 weeks without the supplement. They measured blood markers, immune cells, gut bacteria and asked participants about their quality of life.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small pilot study at a single clinic without a placebo group or recorded diets.
- It cannot show whether sodium propionate would have the same effects in people without HIV.
- The 24-week timeframe does not reveal what happens over years of use.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Flexopharm Brain GmbH & Co. KG (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Center for Sexual Health and Medicine, Germany; Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany; MVZ Laboratory Krone, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Influence of dietary supplementation of short-chain fatty acid sodium propionate in people living with HIV (PLHIV)
- Type
- Clinical trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Brauckmann V, Nambiar S, Potthoff A, et al (2022). Influence of dietary supplementation of short-chain fatty acid sodium propionate in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. doi:10.1111/jdv.18006Free full textPubMed 35176190DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error