- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Cranberries May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
- Maggots as Good as Gel in Leg Ulcer Treatments
- Many Cancer Patients Turn to Complementary Medicine
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Soccer's a Winner for Building Bone Health in Girls
- Many Americans Fall Short on Their Vitamin D
- CANCER
- Mineral May Reduce High-Risk Bladder Disease
- Lifting Weights Can Ease Arm Swelling in Breast Cancer Survivors
- Exercise Cuts Lung Cancer Risk in Ex-Smokers by 45%
- CAREGIVING
- UV Lights, Fans May Curb TB Spread in Hospitals
- Hospital Volume Imperfect Gauge of Cancer Surgery Outcomes
- Distance No Bar to Kidney Transplants in Remote Areas
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Night Shift Work Hard on the Heart
- High Blood Fat Levels Common in Americans
- COSMETIC
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Most Insured Adults Worry About Health Care Costs: Poll
- Dental Implants Need More Work Than Root Canals
- Gum Care Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
- DIABETES
- Study Shows Turmeric May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
- Findings Challenge Tight Glucose Control for Critically Ill Patients
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Vitamin B12 Key to Aging Brain
- Quick Weight Loss May Be Best for Long-Term Success
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Global Warming May Bring More Respiratory Woes
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Fish in U.S. Rivers Tainted With Common Medications
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Brain Pressure More Likely to Cause Vision Loss in Men
- Diabetic Hispanics Missing Out on Eye Exams
- Action-Filled Video Games Boost Adult Vision
- FITNESS
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Community Exercise Programs Boost Seniors' Strength
- Be Healthy, Spend Less
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- How Weight Loss Can Help the Heart
- Family Medicine Cabinet Top Source Of Kid's Poisonings
- Asparagus May Ease Hangover
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Arteries Age Twice as Fast in Smokers
- Kids With Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Trouble
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- KID'S HEALTH
- Daily Exercise at School Yields Rewards
- Too Many Infants Short on Vitamin D
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- MENTAL HEALTH
- How to Attack Holiday Stress Head-On
- Green Spaces Boost the Body and the Mind
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- PREGNANCY
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Heart Defects in Newborns Linked to Antidepressants
- Exercise Boosts Bone Density in Breast-Feeding Moms
- SENIORS
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex
Meat Additives May Be Dangerous for Kidney Patients
By eHolistic.com Published: 07/23/2009
THURSDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Additives used to "enhance" uncooked meat and poultry can pose serious health risks for people with kidney disease, researchers say.
Many fresh meat and poultry products are injected with water, sodium, potassium salts, antioxidants and flavorings that are not required to be listed on food labels, according to a report published online July 23 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
But dialysis patients must limit their intake of dietary phosphate, which can boost levels in the blood and cause premature death. Kidney disease patients also need to limit the potassium they consume, because high levels in the blood can cause sudden death, the study authors note in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology.
Many meat and poultry items contain elevated levels of these minerals.
The critical regulation of the body's salt, potassium and acid content is performed by the kidneys, where waste products and excess fluid from the body are removed through the urine. The production of urine helps maintain a stable balance of body chemicals. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have chronic kidney disease and millions of others are at increased risk.
In the new study, Dr. Richard Sherman and Dr. Ojas Mehta from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, looked at the potassium and phosphate content in "enhanced" and additive-free meats and poultry from area supermarkets.
The "enhanced" products have an average of 28 percent more phosphates than additive-free products, the researchers reported. The potassium levels varied, they found. Additive-free products all had less than 387 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams of protein; five of the 25 products with additives had 692 milligrams or more of potassium per 100 grams of protein.
Most foods that had phosphate and potassium additives reported them on the labels, but eight of the 25 "enhanced" products didn't, according to the report.
"The burden imposed on those seeking to limit dietary phosphorous and potassium could be ameliorated by more complete food labeling by manufacturers," the authors wrote.
SOURCES: American Society of Nephrology, news release, July 23, 2009
