Hola my fellow metabolic misfit —

​Yesterday I sent that email about surviving road-trip nutrition chaos with protein bars instead of gas-station despair…

…and immediately someone lobbed this spicy meatball into my inbox:

“What are your thoughts on the EPG in it?”

Ah yes.

EPG — esterified propoxylated glycerol — the mysterious “fat-but-not-fat” substance that Instagram doom prophets swear will dissolve your vitamins, kneecap your HDL, steal your firstborn, and possibly open a small shimmering wormhole in your colon.

Let’s be clear:

EPG does none of those things.

But does it deserve a closer look?

Oh hell yes.
Because the more I dug, the weirder (and more interesting) the story got.

If you want the short version, David bars are fine up to 2 a day, but if you want all the details, put on your propeller hat as here we go hard down the nerd chute.

The Short Version (aka the “Bro Cliff Notes”)

At reasonable intake levels — like what you’d get from one David Bar — EPG appears to be very safe.

But here’s the plot twist:

David Bars does NOT disclose how much EPG is in each bar.

And after reverse-engineering it like a metabolic Sherlock Holmes, the number looks less like “a sprinkle” and more like:

8–10+ grams of EPG per bar.

Two bars — which they recommend as the daily max — puts you at 16–20 grams per day.

And that’s where my nerd antenna started twitching, because…

The human data suggests that at ~25g/day, fat-soluble vitamins (especially β-carotene and K1) start dropping.

Not catastrophic.
Not instant deficiency.
But measurable and consistent.

Am I still an affiliate for David Bars?
Yup — transparency always. Pick some up below

>> David Protein Bars <<

However, I am also going to tell you the uncomfortable breakdown based on ..... science bitches!

​
​The Nerd Bastion: What the Science Actually Says

EPG has been tested in human studies at doses no sane meathead would ever touch voluntarily.

This is “eat 150g/day because the researchers ran out of Olestra jokes” territory.

Here’s what we know:

~10 g/day (Normal, chill levels)

Basically nothing happens.
No GI chaos.
No vitamin depletion.
No liver enzyme weirdness.
No HDL drop.
No “oops my colon slipped into another dimension.”
(Davidson & Bechtel, 2014)

25–40 g/day (aka “I ate 4–6 bars per day because gainZ and I cant cook?”)

Mild effects show up:

• Gas
• Soft stool
• Some oily spotting for the bold
• ↓ β-carotene
• ↓ Vitamin K1
• ↑ PIVKA-II (marker of K deficiency)

But…

....Everything reverses once intake stops.
No clinical deficiency.
No emergency.
Just “your vitamins dipped because you mainlined EPG like a hobby.”
(Davidson & Bechtel, 2014)

60–150 g/day (full send, colon roulette)

Now you get:

• Slight ALT/AST bump
• Small HDL drop
• Still reversible
• Still not clinically dangerous (Bechtel, 2015)

What About David Bars?

Let’s do the math — because the label won’t.

The site says the “fat system” contributes 18 calories.
EPG = 0.7 calories per gram.

18 ÷ 0.7 = ~25 grams of “fat system.”

Then subtract the 2 grams of real fat (coconut oil + cocoa butter):

~8–10 grams of EPG per bar.

ConsumerLab tested the bars and found 9.7g total fat, which matches this estimate.

Now…

2 bars/day = ~16–20g of EPG

And the vitamin-impact threshold from the research starts at…

25g/day

You’re not crossing the line…
…but you are playing frisbee with it.

For short-term use? Totally fine.
For daily long-term use? Worth some nuance.
For “I eat 3–4 bars/day because bro I’m on the road”?
No. Just no.

The Industry-Funded Elephant in the Room

The two major EPG safety studies?

Funded by the company that makes EPG.

Does that make them garbage?
No — this is normal in food science, especially after the Olestra fiasco scared the FDA into eternity.

The studies WERE:

• FDA-reviewed
• Conducted under GLP
• Peer-reviewed
• Reviewed by independent experts

So the data is likely legit —
—but bias is still a thing, so transparency matters.

The Bottom Line

At 1 bar/day (~8–10g) → Totally safe
At 2 bars/day (~16–20g) → Probably fine short-term
At 2 bars/day long-term → Possible micronutrient drift (β-carotene + K1)
At 3+ bars/day for weeks on end? … sit down and rethink your life.

These bars are a tool, not your new lifestyle fix.
​
Not a nutritional religion.

For road trips?
For 12-hour kiteboarding days?
For “holy crap I forgot lunch again”?
Perfect.

For breakfast-lunch-dinner for weeks?
No. Get your nutrition fixed Brosep

Final Thoughts (said with nerd love)

I love David Bars.
They taste great, pack protein easily, and helped me survive 1,676 miles of asphalt purgatory.

But their lack of transparency on EPG content?
Not my favorite.

And I get they they do it since the supplement industry is full of "me too and I am lazy so I will just copy stuff."

In short:

1 bar per day = green zone.​
​2 bars per day = yellow zone.​
​3+ bars per day = red zone (aka GI Practical Exam).

And if someone online starts shrieking:

“EPG will steal your nutrients!!”

Ask them for the citation.

I’ll wait.

Hit me up with any questions — I love this stuff.

Much love and molecular nerdery,
Dr. Mike
​
PS - I am an affiliate for David bars and they are my go to protein bar

>> David Protein Bars <<

References

Bechtel, D. (2015). Tolerance of rising dietary concentrations of esterified propoxylated glycerol (EPG) among human volunteers. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 73(1), 413–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2015.07.030​

Davidson, M., & Bechtel, D. (2014). Assessment of the effect of esterified propoxylated glycerol (EPG) on the status of fat-soluble vitamins and select water-soluble nutrients following dietary administration to humans for 8 weeks.Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 70(S2), S143–S157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2014.11.009​
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____________________

Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

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