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We hear a lot about the properties of individual minerals, and even more about the role they play in the functioning of the body. It is worth looking at the specific elements, the sources of their occurrence, the importance they have. One of the important minerals is phosphorus, which is known for its beneficial effect on bones and the nervous system. What other functions does this element perform? Where are we dealing with it? What causes its excess or deficiency in the body?
Phosphorus in the body
Phosphorus in the human body has very important functions – it is an important building component of bones and teeth. This is its role and task shared with calcium to ensure strong and healthy bones. The remaining amounts of the element are located in soft tissues and cell membranes as well as in nucleic acids, which makes phosphorus an important carrier of genetic information. In addition, it participates in nervous and energy processes, supports the acid-base balance.
What heralds or threatens phosphorus deficiency?
You don’t often hear about phosphorus deficiency, due to its constant presence in many products that we reach for every day. However, when such a condition is found, it usually diagnoses malnourished people who have malabsorption problems, alcoholics, and those who are parenterally fed. This results in chronic weakness of muscles and bones, sometimes even their softening. In addition, the body loses resistance to disease. Some of the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency do not clearly indicate this problem – these are muscle pain, bone pain, vomiting, breathing disorders. Some, however, are more typical of this ailment – there are disorders of the nervous system: paralysis, disturbance of consciousness, nausea, convulsions.
Phosphorus in the diet – in what products to look for this mineral?
It is worth knowing what minerals we can expect in the food supplied to our body and how they are absorbed by it. In the case of phosphorus, it is worth remembering about its much lower bioavailability in cereals or legumes. To facilitate this process, simple treatments are used to modify the food before consumption, e.g. soaking legumes before boiling them. The demand for phosphorus is much higher in children and adolescents due to the period of development of their organisms. The question remains, where to look for sources of this important mineral? Various cheeses, buckwheat groats, canned fish, and smoked fish are rich in phosphorus. In more widely available products, it can be found in meat, eggs, bread, meat offal. Its special form are phosphates, i.e. a kind of food improvers, the so-called stabilizers and acidity regulators, emulsifiers, antioxidants. They are used in food processing, e.g. cheese, cold cuts, coca-cola, bread, sausages, cheese, milk desserts, breakfast cereals.
Excess phosphorus – what then?
While phosphorus deficiency is rare, in the case of excess phosphorus in the diet, the situation is similar, but indicates other causes. On the one hand, you can overdo it by eating food in the form of supplements, on the other hand, it can be a symptom of kidney failure or improper release of phosphorus from bones or cells. Excessive consumption of this mineral can result in calcification of tissues, increased bone porosity, and in children hyperactivity or mental illness. If it is overdone in this range, diarrhea and vomiting will occur. In addition, the excess of the element in the blood can also limit the absorption of other minerals, equally important in the daily diet. The key role here is played by vitamin D, which, on the one hand, improves the absorption of phosphorus, and on the other hand, helps to maintain a balance between these two elements.