1. Your Body Contains Lots of Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a nonmetallic mineral that is present in the body. With the exception of calcium, it is the most plentiful mineral found in the body--the average person's body contains 1 to 2 lbs. of it. Like calcium, it is present in all the cells as well as the bones and teeth. Infants are supposed to take in about 1.5 gm of calcium for every gram of phosphorus, but adults should consume these two minerals in equal amounts.
2. Phosphorus in Whole Wheat
Bran--especially wheat and rice bran--are high in phosphorus. So is cottonseed flour. Avoid processed white bread and anything made of white flour. A slice of whole wheat bread has about 57 gm of phosphorus, while a slice of enriched white bread has only 25 gm. Too much sugar in the diet can block the absorption of phosphorus. Because alcohol converts to sugar, alcoholics often suffer from phosphorus deficiencies even if their diet is good. The aluminum in antacids can also block phosphorus absorption.
3. Yeast Helps Phosphorus Levels to Rise
Phosphorus is present in plant seeds in a form known as phytic acid or a phytate. However, humans lack an enzyme, known as a phytase, that allows us to get the phosphorus from the phytate. Yeast contains phytases; therefore, whole grain breads that contain yeast are a better form of phosphorus than cereals or flat breads. Soybean flour is high in phosphorus. So is wheat germ as well as nuts. If you make your own bread, add wheat germ or nuts to the batter.
4. Skip the Soda
You can get phosphorus from oatmeal, brown rice or granola-like cereals. Actually, some nutritionists say that many of us are getting too much phosphorus in our diets, due in part to the fact that it's found in soda. Again, it's important to balance phosphorus and calcium consumption as much as you can. If you rely on whole grains for your phosphorus and skip the soda, you will probably be able to easily maintain this balance. People with kidney disease are usually advised to consume a low-phosphorus diet, because too much puts a strain on the kidneys as it attempts to remove it from the body. A person on a low-phosphorus diet will be told to eat more refined foods and avoid the whole grains--just the opposite of standard nutritional advice.
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