When You Cut Carbs, Don't Raise Phosphate Levels

Recently I've been reading up on the role of phosphates in heart disease, and what I am learning has some troubling implications for people who eat low carb diets. I already knew that people who have been diagnosed with kidney disease must avoid phosphates, as they can further damage the kideny's filtration units. I'd also discovered, and blogged about, the fact that and a person's lifetime intake of the phosphates present in brown-colored sodas, both diet and regular, have been found to correlate with their likelihood of developing kidney disease. (Details HERE)But until recently, I had not realized that blood levels of phosphate that fall within the upper part of the supposedly normal range range on lab tests correlate with a higher likelihood of developing the calcified arteries that represent heart disease.This is true even in populations of young, supposedly healthy people.There are many studies linking phosphate consumption to poorer health outcomes. But most striking was this study published by researchers involved in the Framingham Offspring Study. They followed 3,015  young, healthy people for 15 years found that those with higher levels of phosphorus in their blood at the beginning of the study were more likely to have greater amounts of calcification in their arteries at the end of the study.The researchers conclude, "... higher serum phosphorus levels, even within the normal range, may be a risk factor for coronary artery atherosclerosis in healthy young a...
Source: Diabetes Update - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs