Phosphorous

Phosphorous




This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Guidelines are -

  • Eat a Variety of Foods
  • Maintain Desirable Weight
  • Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
  • Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber
  • Avoid Too Much Sugar
  • Avoid Too Much Sodium
  • If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation
WHAT IS MEANT BY A GOOD FOOD SOURCE?

A good food source of phosphorous contains a substantial amount of phosphorous in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (U.S. RDA) for phosphorous in a selected serving size. The U.S. RDA for phosphorous is 1,000 milligrams per day. (The U.S. RDA given is for adults, except pregnant or lactating women, and children over 4 years of age.)

The U.S. RDA for phosphorous is the amount of the mineral used as a standard in nutrition labeling of foods. This allowance is based on the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for 24 sex-age categories set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The 1989 RDA has been set at 1,200 milligrams per day for women and men 19 to 24 years of age and 800 milligrams for women and men 25 to 50 years of age.

As you can see, in 1985 and 1986, 28 percent of the phosphorous in the diets of women was supplied by meat, poultry, and fish. Grain products and milk and milk products each contributed 24 percent of the phosphorous. Much of the phosphorous provided by the fats, sweets, and beverages group comes from carbonated beverages; however, they are not considered in our list of "good sources" because they are high in calories compared to the amounts of vitamins and minerals they provide. These beverages often contain phosphorous in the form of phosphates. Foods that contain small amounts of phosphorous but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of phosphorous to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

WHY DO WE NEED PHOSPHOROUS?

Phosphorous, a mineral, helps build strong bones and teeth. Phosphorous is also involved in the release of energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates during metabolism, and in the formation of genetic material, cell membranes, and many enzymes.

DO WE GET ENOUGH PHOSPHOROUS?

According to recent USDA surveys, the intake of phosphorous by women 35 to 50 years of age and men 19 to 50 years of age averaged above their RDA. Average phosphorous intake by women 19 to 34 years of age was about 1,000 milligrams per day.

HOW CAN WE GET ENOUGH PHOSPHOROUS?

Eating a variety of foods that contain phosphorous is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. The list of foods will help you select those that are good sources of phosphorous as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of good sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods tables used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN PHOSPHOROUS

Phosphorous is lost in cooking some foods even under the best conditions. To retain phosphorous:

WHAT ABOUT WHOLE-GRAIN CEREALS?

Whole-grain ready-to-eat cereals usually contain 10 percent of the U.S. RDA for phosphorous. Since cereals vary, check the label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

WHAT IS A SERVING?

The serving sizes used on the list of good sources are only estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amounts eaten of some meats may be easier to estimate by the piece rather than by weight. For example, the selected serving size for lamb is 1 chop weighing 3 1/4-ounces, 1 patty weighing 2-3/4 ounces, or 3 ounces of roast shoulder.

WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES OF PHOSPHOROUS?


     FOOD                             SELECTED      PERCENTAGE OF

                                      SERVING SIZE  U.S. RDA (1)

BREADS, CEREALS, AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS

Bread, whole-wheat 2 slices + Bulgur, cooked or canned 2/3 cup + Muffin, whole-wheat 1 medium + Oatmeal, regular or quick, cooked 2/3 cup + Pancakes, plain 2 4-inch pancakes + Ready-to-eat cereals, whole-grain (2) 1 ounce + Roll, whole-wheat 1 medium + Waffles, plain 2 4-inch squares ++ Wheat germ, plain 2 tablespoons +

VEGETABLES

Beans, lima, cooked 1/2 cup +

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, AND ALTERNATES

Meat and Poultry Beef: Brisket, braised, lean only 3 ounces + Ground; extra lean, lean, or regular; baked or broiled 1 patty + Pot roast, braised, lean only 3 ounces + Roast rib, roasted, lean only 3 ounces + Shortribs, braised, lean only 3 ounces + Steak; baked, braised, or broiled; lean only 3 ounces + Stew meat, simmered, lean only 3 ounces + Chicken, without skin: Breast, broiled or roasted 1/2 breast + Leg (thigh and drumstick), broiled or roasted 1 leg + Ham, roasted, lean only: Fresh 3 ounces + Smoked or cured 3 ounces + Lamb: Chop, loin or shoulder; baked, braised, or broiled; lean only 1 chop + Ground, cooked 1 patty + Roast, shoulder, roasted, lean only 3 ounces + Liver, braised: Beef or calf 3 ounces ++ Chicken 1/2 cup diced + Pork: Chop, baked or broiled, lean only 1 chop + Ground, cooked 3 ounces + Roast, roasted, lean only; Loin 3 ounces + Shoulder 3 ounces + Steak or cutlet, baked or broiled, lean only 3 ounces + Turkey: Ground, cooked 3 ounces + Light or dark meat, roasted without skin 3 ounces + Veal: Cutlet or steak, pan-broiled, lean only 3 ounces + Ground, cooked 1 patty + Roast, leg, roasted, lean only 3 ounces +

Fish and Seafood Carp, baked or broiled 3 ounces +++ Catfish, cod, croaker, mackerel, mullet, ocean perch, pike, pompano, porgy, trout, or whiting; baked or broiled 3 ounces + Clams; steamed, boiled, or canned; drained 3 ounces + Crabmeat, steamed 3 ounces + Flounder, haddock, perch, or sea bass; baked or broiled 3 ounces + Lobster, steamed or boiled 3 ounces + Mackerel, canned, drained 3 ounces ++ Mussels, steamed, boiled, or poached 3 ounces + Oysters: Baked, broiled, or steamed 3 ounces + Canned, drained 3 ounces + Salmon: Baked, broiled, steamed, or poached 3 ounces + Canned, drained 3 ounces ++ Scallops: Baked or broiled 3 ounces + Broiled or steamed 3 ounces + Shrimp: Broiled 3 ounces + Steamed, boiled, or canned, drained 3 ounces + Swordfish steak, baked or broiled 3 ounces ++ Tuna, canned, drained 3 ounces +

Dry Beans, Peas, and Lentils Beans; calico, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lima, mexican, mung, pinto, or red kidney; cooked 1/2 cup + Lentils, cooked 1/2 cup + Soy milk (not baby formula) 1 cup +

Nuts and Seeds Almonds, roasted 2 tablespoons + Brazil nuts 2 tablespoons + Peanut butter 2 Tablespoons + Pine nuts (pignolias) 2 tablespoons + Sesame seeds 2 tablespoons + Sunflower seeds, hulled; roasted, unroasted, or dry-roasted 2 tablespoons +

MILK, CHEESE, AND YOGURT

Cheese, natural: blue, brick, cheddar, colby, edam, gouda, gruyere, havarti, limburger, monterey, mozzarella, muenster, parmesan (hard), port du salut, provolone, roquefort, swiss, tilsit 1 ounce + Cheese, process, cheddar or swiss 3/4 ounce + Cheese, ricotta 1/2 cup + Cheese spread, cheddar 1 tablespoon + Cottage cheese, regular or lowfat 1/2 cup + Ice milk, soft-serve 1/2 cup + Milk: Chocolate 1 cup ++ Dry, lowfat, or nonfat; reconstituted 1 cup + Evaporated, diluted: Skim 1 cup + Whole 1 cup ++ Whole, lowfat, or skim 1 cup + Yogurt: Flavored or fruit, made with whole or lowfat milk 8 ounces ++ Frozen 8 ounces + Plain: Made with whole milk 8 ounces + Made with lowfat or nonfat milk 8 ounces ++

(1) A selected serving size contains -

+ 10-24 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

++ 25-39 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

+++ 40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

(2) See section on whole-grain cereals.

January 1990

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