Potassium phosphate is made of the mineral phosphorus combined with a potassium salt compound. Potassium phosphate supplementation is used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including high blood calcium levels, phosphorus deficiency and as a preventive measure against kidney stones. However, too much potassium phosphate can interfere with the body's ability to produce red blood cells. Speak to your doctor about safe dosage levels and possible side effects before taking potassium phosphate.
Potassium Phosphate and Iron
Potassium phosphate binds with minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron. When this occurs in the body, the digestive system is inhibited from absorbing these minerals, and the amount available for cellular use drops. If you consume large amounts of potassium phosphate, or any other form of phosphorus, your iron levels will fall and it will be increasingly difficult for your body to produce a healthy amount of red blood cells. A lower than normal red blood cell count increases your risk of developing iron deficiency anemia.
Iron Deficiency Anemia
In iron deficiency anemia, your body produces low numbers of abnormally small red blood cells. The condition occurs when the bone marrow that produces the red blood cells does not have access to enough available iron to manufacture the hemoglobin that carries oxygen within the blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia can suppress your immune system, impair your mental abilities and make you feel weak and fatigued. In children, it can slow neurological development. If you develop iron deficiency anemia due to potassium phosphate supplementation, the condition can be reversed by decreasing the amount of phosphate you consume.
Recommended Phosphate Intake
The University of Maryland Medical Center advises that most people do not need any form of phosphorus supplementation since the mineral is found in high concentrations in foods like meat, eggs, dairy products and potatoes, as well as in carbonated cola drinks. If you do choose to use potassium phosphate as a dietary supplement, MedlinePlus warns that adults between 19 and 70 years of age should not take more than 4 grams daily, and that people older than 70 should take 3 grams or less per day. If you are also taking iron supplements, don't take the two at the same time. Instead, take the potassium phosphate supplement either two hours before or two hours after your iron supplement to prevent the phosphate from binding to and inactivating the iron.
Considerations
Over-the-counter potassium phosphate supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and their safety and purity have often not been confirmed by an outside party. Besides interfering with red blood cell production, high potassium phosphate intake may also cause diarrhea, constipation, unusual swelling, muscle cramps, headaches or dizziness. It may also prevent drugs like insulin, corticosteroids, blood pressure medications and anti-convulsants from working properly. You should avoid using potassium phosphate if you have kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure or have abnormal blood levels of minerals such as potassium, sodium or calcium.
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