ArticleScientific reports2018
Chronic intake of 4-Methylimidazole induces Hyperinsulinemia and Hypoglycaemia via Pancreatic Beta Cell Hyperplasia and Glucose Dyshomeostasis.
Article in Scientific reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutrient and non-nutrient regulators of insulin secretion.Nature reviews. Endocrinology · 2026Review
- Food Coloring Additives and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort.Diabetes care · 2026Article
- Reducing sarcolipin expression improves muscle metabolism inAmerican journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2022Article
- Differential gene expression profiling implicates altered network development in rat postnatal day 4 cortex following 4-Methylimidazole (4-MeI) induced maternal seizures.Neurotoxicology and teratologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Caramel colours are the preferential food colouring agent globally, reaches wide age groups through eatables. Colas, a sweetened carbonated drink are most common caramel coloured beverage and its consumption is linked with diabetes, obesity, pancreatic cancer and other endocrine disorders. A major by-product produced during caramelization is 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) that is detected in noteworthy concentrations in colas and other beverages. Previous studies revealed the neurotoxic and carcinogenic potential of 4-MEI in animals at higher doses but the effect of 4-MEI at theoretical maximum daily intake dose on glucose homeostasis is unexplored. Here, mice treated with 4-MEI (32 µg/kg bodyweight/day) for seven weeks exhibited severe hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia mediated by hyperplasia of pancreatic beta cells and induces metabolic alterations. On combinatorial treatment, 4-MEI suppressed the glucogenic potential of non-artificial sweeteners and promotes lipogenesis. Furthermore, increased levels of C-peptide, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides were observed in the humans with regular intake of 4-MEI containing beverages. In summary, 4-MEI induced pancreatic beta cell hyperplasia and leads to disruption of glucose and lipid homeostasis. This study suggests the need for further assessment and reconsideration of the wide usage of 4-MEI containing caramels as food additives.
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