Phosphorus Cautions
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General warnings and precautions
Certain people should either not take phosphorus supplements at all or seek medical advice before taking phosphorus supplements:
- People with kidney disease or heart disease
People who have any type of kidney or heart disease should not take phosphorus supplements as they can cause calcification of the kidneys and heart. For people with existing kidney or heart disease, this can be quite dangerous as their kidneys and/or heart are already weakened and the phosphorus supplements may cause serious health problems. This is especially so if the phosphorus supplements are taken at high levels (higher than the tolerable upper limit for phosphorus). - People taking antacids
People who use antacids that contain aluminium on a regular basis, should be very careful with phosphorus supplements - do not take the phosphorus supplements at the same time as the antacids - it may be more advisable not to take the phosphorus supplements at all while taking any antacids. - People with hypoparathyroidism
People with hypoparathyroidism already have high phosphorus levels and decreased calcium levels, so further phosphorus supplementation may cause toxicity symptoms and exacerbation of the hypoparathyroidism. - People with osteomalacia or osteoporosis, children with rickets
People with osteomalacia, osteoporosis and rickets have lower than normal levels of calcium in their bones, so high amounts of phosphorus supplements can cause their calcium levels to drop even further and cause more bone loss. - People with acute pancreatitis
People with acute pancreatitis already have elevated phosphorus blood levels, so further phosphorus supplementation may cause toxicity symptoms and exacerbation of the pancreatitis. - People with conditions affecting the adrenal glands
People with adrenal gland disorders, especially adrenal insufficiency, already have elevated phosphorus blood levels, so further phosphorus supplementation may cause toxicity symptoms and exacerbation of the adrenal gland disorder. - People experiencing severe fluid retention
People experiencing severe fluid retention already have elevated phosphorus blood levels (and reduce levels of the electrolytes - calcium, chloride, potassium and sodium), so further phosphorus supplementation may cause toxicity symptoms and exacerbation of the fluid retention. - People with severe burns or undergoing chemotherapy
People with severe burns or undergoing chemotherapy have got major breakdown of their body tissues (both externally and internally) and high phosphorus intake will cause a further breakdown as it prevents absorption of many other minerals, which can severely impair healing. - Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be cautious about taking high phosphorus supplements, they should be obtaining adequate phosphorus from their diet.
Certain people should either not take phosphorus supplements at all or seek medical advice before taking phosphorus supplements
Toxic Levels of Phosphorus
Phosphorus is toxic at doses greater than 2800mg.
Overdosage and Toxicity Symptoms
High amounts of phosphorus from supplements is not advisable, as they can cause a whole range of toxic symptoms:
- Calcification of the heart and kidneys
- Hypocalcaemia (high blood calcium levels)
- Malabsorption of many minerals
- Osteoporosis
- Secondary parathyroidism
People experiencing any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their phosphorus supplements and seek medical advice. Overdosage and toxicity is more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of phosphorus is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.