New research sheds light on inorganic phosphate—an additive and preservative found in up to 70 percent of the foods in the common diet in the U.S.—and the impact it could be having on your health.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, aimed to look at the adverse impacts of consuming too much phosphate in one's diet by examining lab mice that were given a high-phosphate diet.

The researchers measured the rodents' oxygen uptake during exercise, showing not just less capacity for movement but also the inability to produce enough fatty acids needed to feed their muscles.

While the mice were being observed for a 12-week period, the researchers wanted to draw a comparison to humans, so they looked at the data of people who were enrolled in the Dallas Heart Study.