Additive that makes cheese spreadable raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate
Additive that makes cheese spreadable and stops coffee from clumping raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate
- Excessive phosphate intakes cause the mineral to deposit in the arteries
- Phosphate occurs naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish, nuts and beans
- Commonly used as a preservative; means many exceed recommended limits
- Build ups in the arteries can cause clots that cut off an organ’s blood supply
- If the heart or brain has restricted blood, heart attacks and stroke can occur
3
View
comments
The additive that makes cheese spreadable, stops coffee from clumping and preserves salami raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate, new research suggests.
Consuming food and drinks with the additive phosphate causes the mineral to deposit in a person’s blood vessels, a study found.
Phosphate occurs naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish, nuts and beans, as well as commonly being used as preservative, which means many people exceed the recommended daily limit of 700mg.
Previous research suggests the build-up of plaque in arteries causes them to narrow, which can lead to clots that restrict blood from reaching the heart or brain, leading to heart attacks and stroke.
Dr Reto Krapf, from the University of Basel, said: ‘Our results provide an important explanation for the association of dietary phosphate intake with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population.’
The ingredient that makes cheese spreadable, stops coffee from clumping and preserves salami raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate, new research suggests (stock)
-
Stars of new Netflix series about chronic illness slam the… 
Five-year-old girl who takes cannabis for her seizures is… 
Father-of-two, 37, whose headaches were dismissed as sinus… 
Dangerous parasitic disease caused by ‘kissing bugs’ has… -
FDA approves first US trial on magic mushrooms as depression… 
Snacking on almonds is the best way to compensate for…
Share this article
How the research was carried out
The researchers analysed 20 people over 11 weeks.
Some of the participants were given a phosphate supplement, while the remainder took a tablet that prevented the mineral from being absorbed.
All of the participants were all told to keep their diets the same.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, rarely has noticeable symptoms. But if untreated, it increases your risk of serious problems such as heart attacks and strokes.
More than one in four adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many won’t realise it.
The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked.
Blood pressure is recorded with two numbers. The systolic pressure (higher number) is the force at which your heart pumps blood around your body.
The diastolic pressure (lower number) is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels. They’re both measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).
As a general guide:
- high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or higher
- ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg
- low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60mmHg or lower
- A blood pressure reading between 120/80mmHg and 140/90mmHg could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure if you don’t take steps to keep your blood pressure under control.
If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.
Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:
- heart disease
- heart attacks
- strokes
- heart failure
- peripheral arterial disease
- aortic aneurysms
- kidney disease
- vascular dementia
Source: NHS
Effects reversed two months after phosphate intake ceased
Results, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggest that phosphate increases a person’s systolic blood pressure, which occurs when the heart contracts, by 4.1mmHg.
Phosphate also raises a person’s diastolic blood pressure, when the arteries rest between heart beats, by 3.2 mmHg.
Taking phosphate supplements also causes a person to have four more heart beats per minute.
High heart rates suggest the organ is working harder to pump blood around the body, which can reduce the amount of blood that reaches the body’s organs.
Two months after the study, the participants’ blood pressure readings had returned to normal, which suggests phosphate’s effects are reversible.
Dr Krapf added: ‘These conclusions are important for public health and should be further examined in larger studies in various population groups.’
Source: Read Full Article