The mental and physical performance, the strength of
teeth and bones, even sexual health depend on a trace element, such as phosphorus. The mineral substance enters
the body with food.
The daily requirement in phosphorus for infants is
120-540 mg, for children under three years - 800 mg. A child at school age should
receive at least 1.4 grams of mineral a day. Norm for adults - 1-2 g. For pregnant and lactating women, the
need for a microelement is 2-3 times higher.
So, what foods contain phosphorus and how does it
affect the body?
The value of an element for a person
700-800 g of phosphorus is
present in our body. More than 80% of the substance is concentrated in the bones and
teeth. The rest is in muscle tissues, organs, blood,
lymph, tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. A craze for canned food and
lemonade, the abuse of protein foods can lead to an excess of phosphorus.
The mineral deficiency in the
body lowers the level of manganese, hampers the formation of calcitriol and the
absorption of calcium from the intestine. Decalcification of bones occurs
and, therefore, osteoporosis develops. Calcium, excreted from bone and
muscle tissue, accumulates in the blood vessels and kidneys. Thus, an excess of phosphorus leads to kidney stones, anemia,
leukopenia, a tendency to bleeding. Destructive processes affect
the nervous system. Shock doses of the mineral can
lead to the development of atherosclerosis and cause paralysis.
At the same time, phosphorus
is an indispensable and valuable element for the body:
- it is a battery of
energy and a participant in metabolic processes;
- is necessary for
muscle contractions;
- ensures the normal
course of biochemical processes in the brain;
- maintains the
acid-base balance;
- promotes growth
and maintains the integrity of bones and teeth;
- participates in
the formation and decomposition of polysaccharides - glycogen, starch;
- promotes the formation
of active forms of vitamins.
An unbalanced diet often leads
to the lack of phosphorus: a poor diet for proteins, an excess of
calcium-containing foods. Deficiency of the mineral can be observed in people living in a
zone of low insolation.
This is due to the fact that ultraviolet rays
contribute to the synthesis of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). And the latter in turn ensures
the absorption of phosphorus in the intestine.
Hypophosphatemia can be a consequence of prolonged
intake of diuretics, alcohol intoxication.Often it develops against the
background of pulmonary insufficiency, endocrine diseases, problems with
bile-excreting pathways and liver. Absorption of phosphorus in the body is difficult for people with metabolic
disorders, excess aluminum, calcium or magnesium. Deficiency of the microelement occurs in pregnant and lactating
women. You can recognize it by apathy, loss of
appetite, weakness, reduced efficiency as experts reported.
Top-10 vegetable phosphorus-containing products
The easiest way to eliminate the mineral deficiency is
to include foods rich in phosphorus in the diet. These include cereals, legumes, nuts and seeds. A lot of phosphorus is found in dried herbs: dill, coriander,
parsley, tarragon, marjoram. The trace element is found in large quantities in
the seeds of cumin, celery and fennel. Vegetables and fruits contain
little phosphorus. Leaders in the content of the
mineral among them are sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pitted raisins, dried
currants.
What foods are particularly rich in phosphorus? Top-10 looks like this:
·
rice,
wheat, oat bran;
·
raw and fried
pumpkin seeds;
·
sunflower
seeds;
·
poppy
seeds;
·
soy
products;
·
ground
mustard seeds;
·
sesame with and
without skin;
·
Brazilian
nut;
·
flax
seeds;
·
cashew
nuts.
With hypophosphatemia, such
foods and phosphorus-containing meals can be included in the main diet. For
example, many people like to make a useful salad of soy. It should be soaked and cooked in advance. For 4 servings you will need 250 g. Boiled soy should be rinsed
with cold water. Add mushrooms fried in oil,
sliced green pepper and radish. Take 100 g of each ingredient. Salt the salad, season with lemon juice and
sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Dish of green lentils will
help increase the proportion of phosphorus in the body. A glass
of seeds must be sorted, washed, cooked. Throw ready lentils in a colander and cool. Add chopped carrots and
onions, fried champignons with soy sauce, chopped greens. If you want, put in the salad sesame or pumpkin seeds, walnuts. All these ingredients contain phosphorus and calcium, are sources
of vegetable protein. Legumes combine well with whole
grain bread.
Products with phosphorus are
suitable for the preparation of vegan sweets from dried fruits, seeds and nuts. Ground in
a blender a glass of dates without pits and 50 grams of cashew. Combine the resulting mass with the grated coconut pulp (a quarter
of a nut). You can also add mashed potatoes from 3-4
fingered bananas, maple syrup (30 ml), ground cocoa beans (3 tablespoons),
poppy seeds (2 tablespoons) and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix everything. Mold the balls from the mass
and roll them in sesame seeds (4 tablespoons). Before you eat, put candies in the refrigerator for a couple of
hours.
Table of products, which
contain phosphorus and in what quantities (per 100 g of product)
How to increase
the digestibility of the element?
It should be noted that the phosphorus in food is not
fully absorbed. Absorption
of microelements and plant foods is difficult due to a lack of digestive
enzymes in the intestine. On average, the body absorbs
about two-thirds of the phosphorus. This means that the indicators
that are included in the table must be multiplied by 0.7 (study says).
Another important nuance - products and
phosphorus-containing dishes partially lose their mineral value in the process
of cooking and other strong heat treatment. Losses are from 25 to 60%.Thus, the best way to get the necessary
trace element is to eat raw foods or with minimal heat treatment.
Calcium contributes to absorption of phosphorus, and
the optimal ratio of minerals is 1:2.
The correct balance and high content of both elements
is typical for Brazil nuts, almonds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds, whole wheat
flour, soy products. Another
compound necessary for better absorption of phosphorus is vitamin D. In small amounts,
it is present in mushrooms: grifola frondosa, champignons, chanterelles,
morels. However, you can get the necessary amount of
vitamin D in another way - by regularly taking 20-minute sunbaths.
Ideal foods for people with hypophosphatemia are wheat
bran, dried fruit, buckwheat and oatmeal, beans, lentils, peas. The high content of phosphorus
in products is not their only advantage. Dried fruits, grains and
legumes contain a lot of potassium and magnesium – minerals that contribute to
better absorption of the element.
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