This post will provide you with an overview of phosphorus and its connection to bone health.
Understanding phosphorus’s role in proper nutrition is fundamental, as it works alongside calcium and vitamin D to create the structural framework that supports your entire body.
This post will also discuss the different sources, benefits, side effects, and uses of phosphorus in maintaining strong bones.
What is Phosphorus?
Not sure what phosphorus is? It’s an essential mineral, without which your body cannot function. It is a key part of living cells, and it plays a role in how your body releases energy from the food you consume.
It’s a micronutrient that your body needs for strong bones and teeth. Phosphorus helps transport energy to your muscles, helps with cell growth and repair, and keeps your nerve cells working properly.Â
8 symptoms of this mineral deficiency:
Because it’s so important to your body, phosphorus deficiency can lead to some serious health issues. Here are some common symptoms:
- Weakness and fatigue
- Bruising easily
- Muscle cramps
- Irregular heartbeat
- Anemia
- Dental caries (cavities) and tooth decay
- Slow growth in young children and teens, including reduced height and weight for age.
- Poor bone development during childhood and rapid bone loss during adolescence.
The best 9 benefits:
Here are 9 of the common benefits:
1. It plays a key role in the functioning of the nervous system, including in the transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
2. Phosphorus helps regulate your blood’s pH level, which affects how well you absorb calcium.
3. It assists in the production of digestive enzymes, which break down food into molecules your body can use for energy, growth, and repair.
4. It is crucial for healthy bone development in children and adolescents. It also helps maintain strong bones in adults by helping them absorb calcium from their food source (or supplements).
5. The body uses phosphorus to convert glucose into glycogen so that it can be stored in the liver as an energy source when needed later (such as during exercise).
6. It assists in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, which means it helps you break down these macronutrients into smaller pieces so your body can use them as fuel.
7. It helps regulate electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are important for balancing fluid levels throughout your body and maintaining proper hydration levels so that you don’t get dehydrated.
8. It helps you maintain healthy skin, nails, and hair.
5. It keeps your kidneys happy and healthy.
The best food sources.
This is one of the most important nutrients to have in your diet. The best food sources of this mineral include:
- Legumes like beans, lentils, and peas
- Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and celery
- Fish like salmon, tuna, and shellfish
- Red meat like beef and pork, or chicken
- Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Eggs
- Nuts such as almonds, Caju, walnuts
- Whole grains such as wheat germ, and oatmeal.
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Daily dosage
The recommended amount of phosphorus depends on the age:
- 0-6 months old: 100 mg
- 7-12 months old: 275 mg
- 1-3 years old: 400 mg
- 4-8 years old: 600 mg
- 9-18 years old: 800 mg
- 14-18 years old: 1 g a day
- adults: 700 mg.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should increase your intake of phosphorus to 1,300 milligrams a day.
Phosphorus supplements, who should take them?
The supplements are a good choice for anyone who has trouble getting enough phosphorus from their diet.
This includes those who suffer from diabetes and who administer insulin to regulate their blood sugar, those who have trouble absorbing nutrients due to digestive problems, and those who are on a low-phosphorus diet.
People who drink alcohol in excess may also need supplements.
People who have kidney disease or are at risk for developing kidney stones should avoid phosphorus supplements unless advised otherwise by their doctor.
Side Effects
The side effects are rare, but they can include:
- weight gain
- increased thirst
- changes in urination patterns
- increased appetite
- a burning sensation in the stomach
- constipation
- One study shows that phosphorus deficiency can lead to heart problems, including heart failure and stroke.
- nausea
- Diarrhea.
Conclusion:
Phosphorus is an essential mineral often found to be lacking in many diets today. When you consider the beneficial effects that it can have on bone health, this becomes very concerning.
Luckily, there are a variety of foods that contain high amounts of phosphorus, including almonds, molasses, soybeans, spinach, and sardines.
But make sure that you don’t eat too much phosphorus since it can also be detrimental to your health.
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