Fresh Meats Often Contain Additives Harmful To Kidney Disease Patients

Uncooked meat products enhanced with food additives may contain high levels of phosphorus and potassium that are not discernable from inspection of food labels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). This can make it difficult for people to limit dietary phosphorus and potassium that at high levels are harmful to kidney disease patients.

Kidney disease patients on dialysis must watch their intake of dietary phosphate so that their blood phosphate levels do not rise. This is important because high blood phosphate levels may cause premature death in dialysis patients. Kidney disease patients also must limit their intake of potassium, because high blood potassium levels can cause sudden death.

One growing source of dietary phosphorus and potassium is through “enhanced” fresh meat and poultry products. These foods are injected with a solution of water with sodium and potassium salts (particularly phosphates) as well as antioxidants and flavorings. While ingesting phosphates and potassium can be dangerous for dialysis patients, there is no requirement that these ingredients be included in nutrition labels. There also have been no studies on the levels of phosphates and potassium contained in fresh meat and poultry products that have been “enhanced.”

Richard Sherman, MD, and Ojas Mehta, DO (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School), examined the potassium and phosphate content in a variety of “enhanced” and additive-free meat and poultry products available in local supermarkets. They found that products that were labeled as “enhanced” had an average phosphate concentration that was 28% higher than additive-free products, with some products almost 100% higher. Read more

Food Attitudes Affect Obesity Risk In Middle Aged Women

A small study of middle-aged women finds that “guilt-ridden dieters,” impulsive eaters and those too busy to focus on food are the most likely to show signs of obesity.

Half of women fit into two other categories, the study says, and were found to be the least likely to be leaning toward fat. Both types of women in those groups are concerned about nutrition and like to eat healthy.

“The basic attitude that people have about food is related to the likelihood that they’re at risk for obesity and weight gain,” said researcher Dennis Degeneffe, a study co-author.

The study, which appears in the December issue of the journal Health Education & Behavior, placed 200 women into five groups based on their attitudes about food. The women had an average age of 46, were well-educated (two-thirds had a four-year degree or higher) and 86 percent were white.

The researchers then compared the groups of women by measurements such as percentage of body fat, waist size and body mass index (BMI). Read more