Phosphorus - what is it?
Phosphorus, New RDA* 700 mg.
Phosphorus is a mineral colleague of calcium within the body. A proper balance of phosphorus must be present in the bloodstream for good teeth and bones or nourish the brain and nerves.
Phosphorus is a soft, non-metallic element found in the body only in combination with other substances. As a result, it is neither luminous nor inflammable. In the human body, phosphorus is a part of the energy transporting systems in the cells, and is also a component of the phospholipids.
Phosphorus is most commonly found in nature in its pentavalent form in combination with oxygen, as phosphate (PO4 -3 ).
*Sourced from EFSA WEBSITE
Phosphorus - what does it do?
Needed for the formation of healthy bones and teeth, and for the use of energy from food.
Phosphorus is a constituent of all major classes of biochemical compounds. Structurally, phosphorus occurs as phospholipids, which are a major constituent of most biological membranes, and as nucleotides and nucleic acids. Phosphorus plays an important role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and is essential for optimum bone health. The energy that is required for most metabolic processes is derived from the phosphate bonds of adenosine triphosphate and other high energy phosphate compounds. Clinical studies employing chronic phosphorus supplementation were the first to show that high phosphorus intakes influence the parathyroid-vitamin D axis, which maintains calcium balance in the
body. The phosphorus loading in humans operates through mechanisms of nutritional or secondary hyperparathyroidism similar to those observed in animals fed excess phosphorus.
Deficiency
Factors associated with phosphorus deficiency (hypophosphatemia) include liver disease, sepsis, alcoholism, diabetic ketoacidosis and the use of aluminium-containing antacids. The symptoms of a potentially fatal syndrome include anorexia, anaemia, muscle weakness, bone pain, rickets and ataxia. Hypophosphatemia in infants is known to occur in situations of poorly managed parenteral nutrition with inappropriate administration of fluid and electrolyte therapy or with rapid refeeding after prolonged dietary restriction. Preliminary studies have indicated that phosphate deficiency at birth is associated with the development of rickets in later life.
Phosphorus - Sources
Red meat, dairy products, fish, poultry, bread, rice and oats.
