Although most people can get the recommended daily allowance of phosphorus from eating a healthy diet, some people may need to intentionally consume more or less to get the right balance. Here are things to know about the mineral and its essential functions.
Why you need it
Phosphorus serves two main purposes:
- To build and maintain strong teeth and bones
And
- To make proteins that grow and repair damaged cells and tissues
Under the latter purpose, phosphorus also helps manage the body’s energy use and storage, filter and remove waste from the kidneys, promote healthy nerves and aid in muscle recovery after exercise.
How much you need
While the average adult needs about 700 mg per day of phosphorus, infants, toddlers, children and teens have different daily requirements. They include:
- newborns to 6 months old – 100 mg
- 7 months to 1 year – 275 mg
- toddlers – 1 to 3 years – 460 mg
- children – 4 to 8 years – 500 mg
- tweens and teens – 9 years to 18 years – 1250 mg
Women who are nursing or pregnant don’t need more phosphorus than average adults.
How to get it
When in doubt about which foods are rich in phosphorus, look for protein sources. Chicken, pork, turkey, nuts, seafood, seeds and low-fat dairy products tend to be high in phosphorus.
Phosphorus can also be found in foods with less protein than those listed above, such as broccoli, garlic, potatoes, dried fruit, and whole grains, but it’s not absorbed by the body as easily as the high-protein foods.
Special considerations
For the average person, it’s hard to get too much phosphorus to the point that it would harm you. But people with kidney disease or those who have difficulty processing calcium need to be cautious, as too much phosphorus can be dangerous.
When excess phosphorus builds up in the blood, it can pull calcium away from the bones and form deposits in the soft tissues. Previous research has shown that these deposits can raise the risk for stroke, heart attack or death.
