Glycerol is a sugar alcohol with a very sweet taste that is not unpleasant to humans or animals. Eating glycerol in its chemically unbonded state decreases ketone body concentrations of the blood and also increases blood glucose concentrations. In the ruminant animal glycerol is fermented in the gut to propionate and butyrate, and this suggests that some of the glycerol ingested by humans may also be fermented in the colon to short chain fatty acids. Glycerol contributes to energy needs when bound to fatty acids in the form of triglycerides, and ingesting unbound glycerol may also increase energy intakes, relative to the amount consumed. Whilst glycerol is more frequently used as animal feed, in humans glycerol has a very limited application for use. Its sweet taste can be taken advantage of in cooking, and it can be used as a source of energy in place of sugar. Its ability to aid glycogen resynthesis could also be useful to athletes, but in general glycerol still has limited human nutritional uses.
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