Additive that makes cheese spreadable raises a person's blood pressure and heart rate

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)

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.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk

Additive that makes cheese spreadable raises a person’s blood pressure and heart rate

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?