Phosphorus
Benefit
You need phosphorus to keep your bones strong and healthy, to help make energy, and to move your muscles.
In addition, phosphorus helps to:
• build strong bones and teeth
• filter out waste in your kidneys
• manage how your body stores and uses energy
• grow, maintain, and repair tissue and cells
• produce DNA and RNA — the body’s genetic building blocks
• balance and use vitamins such as vitamins B and D, as well as other minerals like iodine, magnesium, and zinc
• assist in muscle contraction
• maintain a regular heartbeat
• facilitate nerve conduction
• reduce muscle pain after exercise
Harm
Inadequate phosphorus intake rarely results in abnormally low serum phosphorus levels (hypophosphatemia) because renalreabsorption of phosphorus increases to compensate for decreased intake. The effects of moderate to severe hypophosphatemia may include loss of appetite, anemia, muscle weakness, bone pain, rickets (in children), osteomalacia (in adults), increased susceptibility to infection, numbness and tingling of the extremities, difficulty walking, and respiratory failure.