Like vitamins, minerals are essential and necessary to help your body perform its everyday functions. Phosphorus is a macromineral, meaning it is required in large quantities, needed by every cell in your body to work properly. Knowing your daily requirements for phosphorus can help you determine how to make adjustments to your diet to meet your needs.
Function
The primary role of phosphorus in your body is to provide structure. It is an important structural component of both your cell membranes and your bones. Adequate intakes of phosphorus are necessary for the formation of the calcium phosphate salt called hydroxyapatite, which is important for bone health and strength. Phosphorus is also needed for energy production and helps maintain normal acid-base balance. A number of enzymes and hormones also requires phosphorus for activation. Phosphorus also assists with oxygen delivery throughout your body.
Requirements
Your daily phosphorus requirements vary depending on your age. Infants 0 to 6 months require 100 mg of phosphorus a day, and 7 to 12 months 275 mg a day. Children ages 1 to 3 years need 460 mg a day, 4 to 8 years 500 mg, and 9 to 13 years 1,250 mg. Teens 14 to 18 years old also require 1,250 mg a day. All adults over the age of 19, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, require 700 mg of phosphorus a day.
Food Sources
Phosphorus is a necessary component of most living things and can be found in a number of foods you consume. Dairy products, meat and fish are your best sources. The phosphorus found in plant foods is in the form of phytic acid or phytate. Humans lack the enzyme to release the phosphorus from phytic acid or phytate, limiting the bioavailability of the phosphorus in plant foods by about 50 percent. Sources include 1 cup of milk with 247 mg, 1 cup of plain yogurt with 385 mg, 3 oz. of salmon with 252 mg and 1/2 cup of cooked lentils with 178 mg.
Deficiencies
Because phosphorus is found in a variety of foods, deficiencies are rare, except in cases of near-starvation. However, alcoholics, diabetics recovering from diabetic ketoacidosis and recovering anorexics undergoing refeeding are at risk for deficiencies. Inadequate intakes of phosphorus can cause loss of appetite, anemia, bone pain, difficulty walking, numbness and tingling of the extremities and increased risk of infection.
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