Is Phosphorus the New Trans Fat?

Phosphorus is an important and essential mineral which can be found in every cell of our bodies. I say essential because our bodies cannot make this element and we need to rely on food in order to get it. Phosphorus has many functions in the body, and I recently had the opportunity to learn more about this mineral by attending the Food Nutrition Conference and Expo in the US, the largest conference of dietitian and nutrition professionals across the world. A new revelation in the dietary world is that high dietary exposures of phosphorus may be increasing our risk for heart disease. Let me explain.

Phosphorus is an essential mineral which adults need about 700mg per day. One of its main roles is to work with calcium building strong bones and teeth, but it has several others as well. It’s found mostly in protein rich foods such as milk and milk products, and meat and meat alternatives like beans, lentils and nuts.  Whole grains can also be a source of phosphorus too, whereas fruit and vegetables provides very little. By drinking two cups of milk and having two servings of meat, poultry or fish per day, don’t worry, you’re well on your way to getting enough. It’s not foods in their natural form we need to be worried about though. It’s the phosphorus additives in our foods. They’re apparently abundant because they are cheap and multipurposeful. They are known to preserve changes in moisture, or color, or act as a stabilizer, acidifier, anti-caking or leavening agent. Unlike phosphorus in foods which about 60% is absorbed, the phosphorus consumed in additives is 100% absorbed by our bodies. It’s hard to say how much we are exactly getting in our diet as any food analyst software programs don’t take into account the extra phosphorus from preservatives in food and it’s not always listed on labels. Most people though are completely unaware of phosphorus additives in foods. I have to admit, I never really thought about them much before now either. But so you know, they are often sourced in processed, ready to eat convenience such as chicken nuggets, hot dogs, deli meats, frozen chicken or turkey that has been enhanced with a broth, biscuits and snack cakes, processed and spreadable cheeses, instant puddings and sauces, soft drinks, flavored waters and fruit drinks.  

According to experts like to Dr. Geoffrey Block, a Denver Nephrologist, higher phosphorus intakes, thought to be easily achieved from the addition of phosphorus additives to our food, can be dangerous to our health. New evidence is telling us that blood levels of phosphorus, even within the normal range, may be independent predictive factors in heart disease and death for adults regardless of having chronic kidney disease. (As a little background info, often when people have chronic kidney disease they can have high blood levels of phosphorus, and other minerals, which can really damage the body, including the heart).  It’s suggesting that healthy kidneys or not, high phosphorus might be bad for the heart. How does it connect to heart disease? Well the Coles Notes version to this is if your kidney function is impaired you are less able to excrete extra minerals like phosphorus. If the extra phosphorus can’t be used by the body or peed out it can end up in other tissues, causing them to harden. Hardened artery walls is our laymen’s term for arthrosclerosis, a major risk factor for heart disease.

As Newfoundlanders and Labradorians our diet is heavily laden with processed, quick and easy ready-to-eat foods. The same can really be said across Canada, so we’re not in that boat alone. We know rates of heart disease and diabetes are high and expected to go higher in the years to come. We’ve already watching the waistline, dietary saturated and trans fat intake, cholesterol, and sodium, but in the future there certainly could be more foods added to that list. The message here is similar to many others and good news is that it’s simple. Eat less of the convenience and readymade type foods. Choose whole foods. Whole, unprocessed foods (think hard cheese versus cheese whiz) will contain lower amounts of additives and preservatives. If you want to play it really safe, organic will have none. Phosphorus additives can be identified on an ingredient list, but that being said, there is no current legislation for labelling in terms of phosphorus. Meaning it won’t always be there (e.g. many broths). If you do want to try and source it, look for ‘phos’ among the long hard to pronounce chemical names. Dicalcium phosphate, potassium tripolyphosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate. Can you spot it?

As seen in The Telegram October 22, 2012