Added Phosphates In Meat And Cola Compromise Kidney Function
Meat and cola drinks are treated with phosphates to control their color and these phosphates can compromise kidney function. The kidneys filter excess phosphorus from our bloodstream, and a high consumption of meat that contains phosphates and foods that contain added phosphates can compromise the kidney’s ability to regulate and remove excess phosphates from the body.
Excessive phosphorus in the body can trigger a condition called metastatic calcification where the excessive phosphorus binds with calcium which reduces the concentration of ionized calcium in the body. Low ionized calcium levels trigger the parathyroid gland to produce unnecessary amounts of parathormone which increases calcium absorption from the intestines and calcium reabsorption from bone. The excess calcium that results from this process can get deposited in our heart valves and muscles and compromise their function and cause heart problems.
Having too much phosphorus in the body is unhealthy, even for people with healthy kidneys. Having too much phosphorus in the body increases the risk of kidney failure, heart failure, heart attacks, and coronary death. High levels of phosphorus in the body is thought to cause damage to blood vessels, accelerate the aging process, and lead osteoporosis by disrupting hormonal regulation.
Many plant foods contain high levels of phosphorus but they don’t contribute to the buildup of phosphorus in the body as do the phosphorus in meat, cola, and other processed foods. Most of the phosphorus in plant foods is in the form of phytic acid, which is not highly bioavailable and it passes through the digestive system and is excreted form the body.
The bioavailability of phosphates in plant foods is usually less than 50%. The bioavailability of phosphates in most animal products is around 75%. The worst kind of phosphorus is the phosphate additives in processed foods like cola beverages that have a bioavailability around 100%. Plant foods work best with our bodies and the less bioavailable form of phosphorus it contains regulates the amount of phosphorus that actually enters the bloodstream.
Phosphates are used in cola beverages to give them their brown color. Without the phosphates cola beverages would be black and would be less appealing to drink. Phosphates are injected into meat to preserve and enhance its color. Phosphates also control meat purge. Meat purge is the liquid the seeps from its flesh as it ages. Many people find meat purge to be undesirable and phosphates are used to stop the liquids from seeping from the flesh.
Eat more plant-based foods and less meat and processed foods to bypass the problems excessive levels of phosphorus can cause.
Tags: kidney function, kidneys
