Minerals · 3 min read ·

Phosphorus: surplus rather than shortage

Bones, teeth and every cell need phosphorus. A dietary deficiency is practically unheard of — we tend to eat more than we need, including from food additives.

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In a nutshell

1What it does and how much you need

About 85% of the body’s phosphorus is in bones and teeth, 14% in muscles and other organs. Phosphorus is part of the molecules that carry energy in cells and helps keep the acid-base balance.1

EFSA recommendation 550 mg EFSA set the adequate intake for adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women at 550 mg a day, based on the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the body. Adults in Europe take in 1,000–1,767 mg a day on average — two to three times more.1

Low blood phosphorus rarely results from a lack in the diet; it is usually caused by disease.1

2Where to find it

Data 1,233 mg Phosphorus is mainly in protein-rich foods: dairy, meat, fish, cereals and pulses. A hundred grams of pumpkin seeds contain 1,233 mg, whey protein 1,321 mg, chia seeds 860 mg and Parmesan 694 mg.1,3

3Absorption and food additives

EFSA recommendation 55–80% Adults absorb 55–80% of dietary phosphorus. It depends on whether it is in organic or inorganic form, whether it comes from animals or plants, and on other parts of the diet.1
EFSA assessment 80–90% Phosphates are also used as food additives (E 338–341, E 343 and E 450–452). Free phosphate is 80–90% absorbed. EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 40 mg of phosphorus per kilogram of body weight and noted that children may exceed it.4

In the EU, supplements may contain phosphorus mainly as calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium phosphates.5 EFSA has not set an upper level for phosphorus — the data are not sufficient.2

4When it is too much

Moderate evidence — a large observational study above 1,400 mg In a follow-up of 9,686 healthy adults in the US, people with phosphorus intakes above 1,400 mg a day had higher mortality; below this level there was no link. It is an observational study, which does not prove cause.6

People with chronic kidney disease need to watch phosphorus, because an excess worsens the state of their bones and blood vessels.7 Phosphates from food additives are absorbed most easily.4

What to take from this

Sources

Written on , based on studies available at that date. Newer research may change the conclusions.

  1. EFSA NDA Panel (2015). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for phosphorus. EFSA Journal 13:4185. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4185
  2. EFSA (2025). Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA Panel on Nutrition (version 11). efsa.europa.eu
  3. USDA ARS (2018). FoodData Central — SR Legacy, phosphorus per 100 g: pumpkin seeds 1,233 mg (FDC 170556), whey protein (average) 1,321 mg (FDC 173180), chia seeds 860 mg (FDC 170554), parmesan 694 mg (FDC 170848). fdc.nal.usda.gov
  4. EFSA FAF Panel (2019). Re-evaluation of phosphoric acid–phosphates — di-, tri- and polyphosphates (E 338–341, E 343, E 450–452) as food additives and the safety of proposed extension of use. EFSA Journal 17:e05674. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5674
  5. Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements, Annex II — forms of vitamins and minerals permitted in supplements (consolidated version 26 Nov 2025). eur-lex.europa.eu
  6. Chang A. R. et al. (2014). High dietary phosphorus intake is associated with all-cause mortality: results from NHANES III. Am J Clin Nutr 99:320–327. doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.073148
  7. Kalantar-Zadeh K. et al. (2010). Understanding sources of dietary phosphorus in the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 5:519–530. doi.org/10.2215/CJN.06080809

This is general information and does not replace a doctor. With kidney disease, talk to a doctor or dietitian about phosphorus in your diet.