Wanpen Vongpatanasin, M.D. Professor of Medicine Norman & Audrey Kaplan Chair in Hypertension Fredric L. Coe Professorship in Nephrolithiasis and Mineral Metabolism Research Director, Hypertension Section, Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX 75390-8586

Excessive Inorganic Phosphate Food Additives May Make Us More Sedentary

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Wanpen Vongpatanasin, M.D. Professor of Medicine Norman & Audrey Kaplan Chair in Hypertension Fredric L. Coe Professorship in Nephrolithiasis and Mineral Metabolism Research Director, Hypertension Section, Cardiology Division, UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX 75390-8586

Dr. Vongpatanasin

Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, M.D.
Professor of Medicine
Norman & Audrey Kaplan Chair in Hypertension
Fredric L. Coe Professorship in Nephrolithiasis and Mineral Metabolism Research
Director, Hypertension Section,
Cardiology Division,
UT Southwestern Medical Center 

 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Increased sedentary activity is commonly seen in people who regularly consume fast food but previously studies have not identified potential mechanisms beyond increased obesity and lack of motivation. Our study seeks to determine if inorganic phosphate, a commonly used food additives that are present in up to 70% of foods in the American diet, maybe the culprit. These food additives (which may come in the form of monocalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, or tetrasodium phosphate, etc. are used to make the food taste better and/or last longer. It is found mostly in prepackaged foods, cola drinks, and bakery items (cookies, cake, and bread). This is very different from organic phosphates that are found naturally in many healthful foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which are not not readily absorbed from the GI tract.

In the Dallas Heart Study, a multiethnic population-based study, we found that serum phosphate is significantly associated with sedentary time and increased time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity which was measured by wrist actigraphy device. This is not explained by reduce cardiac function as ejection fraction remains normal at higher serum phosphate.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: To confirm if inorganic Phosphate is the direct cause, we fed normal mice with diet containing 2-3 fold higher inorganic phosphate content to mimic diet typically consumed by Americans for 12 weeks. We found that these mice were able to exercise less on the treadmill and the maximal oxygen uptake is reduced by 10% which is observed in human aging by about a decade of life. We further identified defect in the skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and impaired fatty acid oxidation which is an important fuel substrate during exercise. 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: I think the more we prepare meals from scratch and make sure we have fresh fruits/vegetables (which contains mostly organic phosphate) as part of our meals, the more likely we don’t get extra phosphate additives. Currently, the USDA and the governing body do not require labeling of phosphate content in our food supply.  Ultimately, having the accurate information of the amount of phosphate in the food label will help consumer to choose better. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work? 

Response: We are planning a randomized study to see if lowering phosphate content in the diet to the recommended levels of 700 mg per day may be beneficial on blood pressure and physical activity. 

Citation:

High-Phosphate Diet Induces Exercise Intolerance and Impairs Fatty Acid Metabolism in Mice

Poghni Allen Peri-Okonny, Kedryn K. Baskin, Gary Iwamoto, Jere H. Mitchell,
Scott A. Smith, Han Kyul Kim, Luke I. Szweda, Rhonda Bassel-Duby, Teppei Fujikawa
7 Jan 2019
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037550

Circulation. 2019;0

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Last Updated on February 24, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD