Phosphorus

and in the teeth (about 80%), but also in the blood and soft tissues.

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The main food contributors are milk and cheese, fish, meats, dried fruit and whole grains.

Absorption occurs as inorganic phosphate thanks to the intervention of vitamin D; factors that reduce it are: the presence of cations in the intestinal lumen that form insoluble salts with phosphates, high pH and vitamin D deficiency.

The elimination of phosphates occurs with the faeces, mainly in inorganic form (ie the non-absorbed fraction) and with the urine.

Renal elimination is under the influence of parathyroid hormone, which decreases its reabsorption.

The need for phosphorus is comparable to that of calcium.

of bones and teeth;

It forms high energy bonds, such as those present in ATP and phosphocreatine (forms of chemical energy storage);

In the blood it constitutes an important buffer system for pH regulation;

It is a constituent of enzymes, proteins, phospholipids, nucleic acids and nucleotides;

It regulates important biochemical processes such as glucose uptake, phosphorylation mechanisms and the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen;

Activate some vitamins.

and manifest themselves with weakness, demineralization of the bones, anorexia and malaise.