Why Processed Foods May Be Secretly Raising Your Blood Pressure

Researchers identify a processed food chemical that crosses into the brain and triggers high blood pressure by activating the nervous system.

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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 on 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.