Phosphorus is an essential mineral that is part of bones, teeth, DNA and the body's energy molecule, ATP; about 85% of it is in bones and teeth. Most people in the US already get more than the recommended amount from food.
Also known as: phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, sodium phosphate.
ODS lists a Recommended Dietary Allowance of 700 mg a day for adults 19 and older (1,250 mg for ages 9 to 18). The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 4,000 mg a day for ages 9 to 70 and 3,000 mg over 70 (3,500 mg in pregnancy). Average US intake from food is about 1,189 mg for women and 1,596 mg for men; most supplements supply 10% or less of the 1,250 mg Daily Value.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling. ODS says phosphorus deficiency is rare and almost never comes from diet; it is usually caused by medical conditions or by refeeding after severe malnutrition. Phosphate additives in processed foods may add 300 to 1,000 mg a day.
What studies show: in kidney disease the body cannot clear phosphate well, and kidney guidelines weakly recommend limiting phosphorus in later stages (ODS). In 9,686 healthy US adults followed in a national survey, intakes above 1,400 mg a day were associated with higher death rates from any cause; this was an observational study, and ODS says the meaning is unclear because high intake might mark an otherwise unhealthy diet (Chang 2014).
Safety, per ODS: very high intake over a short time, such as two 6,600 mg doses of sodium phosphate in a day, can push blood phosphate too high. FDA warned about sodium phosphate laxatives after 13 deaths linked to taking more than the label dose, especially in people with kidney or heart disease or dehydration. Aluminum hydroxide antacids used for 3 months or longer can cause low phosphate, and calcium carbonate antacids reduce phosphorus absorption.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for phosphorus that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. ODS says the kidneys, bones and intestines keep blood phosphate in a set range, so a supplement dose does not show up as a clear curve in healthy people.
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