Researchers identify a processed food chemical that crosses into the brain and triggers high blood pressure by activating the nervous system.
Common phosphate additives that keep your packaged foods fresh and flavorful may be driving up your blood pressure, a recent study has found.
The study, conducted in laboratory rats over 12 weeks, revealed that inorganic phosphates may contribute to hypertension by stimulating the release of a chemical called fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23).
How Food Preservatives Raise Blood Pressure
Researchers discovered that high-phosphate diets cause a specific protein called FGF23 to accumulate in the blood and then cross into critical brain regions that control blood pressure, including the brain stem.
