Function:
Nearly one percent of body weight is phosphorus. Eighty-five
percent of that can be found in bone and is essential for
the health of bone tissue. The rest is found in all the
tissues of the body and is essential for life itself. It
is involved in the regulation of the acid balance in the
body, storage and transfer of energy, and many chemical
reactions are dependent upon it for successful completion.
Recommended
Dietary Allowance:
For
adults 19 to 50 years old 700 mg per day and over 51 years
580 mg per day.
Deficiency:
Phosphorus is present in all known plant and animal tissue.
As a result the food chain contains a rich supply of it
and deficiency occurs only in states of near total starvation.
Deficiency
can occur in some diseases of inborn metabolism and certain
kinds of kidney failure. It is characterized by loss of
appetite, anemia, weakness, and bone pain.
Sources:
As
mentioned phosphorus is abundant in all foods. Phosphorus
in seeds, however, is not easily digested because of the
chemical structure used for its storage.
Toxicity
and UL:
Toxic
effects from excess phosphorus are not well substantiated
in humans. The UL for adults is 4 grams per day, and for
those over 70, because of potential kidney malfunction,
3 grams per day.
Recommendation:
There is no need to supplement with phosphorus.
