# What are the health consequences of too much phosphorus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762 "2005-01-14T20:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/1 "2005-01-14T20:17:33Z")
If a person drinks alot of soda and gets what I assume is alot of phosphorus in their system are there any health consequences to that or does diet soda not contain enough to do anything negative. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/2 "2005-01-14T21:27:49Z")
Too much phosphorus is hard on the left kidney (not the right, if you have both) and can lead to “osteoporosis, arthritis, gout, dental problems (loose teeth, caries), skin eruptions, lowered WBC, higher risk for several cancers, kidney stones.” From [this site](http://www.acu-cell.com/pna.html) (bolding mine): > [@](#): > > Phosphorus, when high in ratio to calcium, is well established as being a contributing factor with bone loss / osteoporosis, and **many articles have been published on the dangers of consuming too many soft drinks because of their high phosphorus content**. A similar message is being preached regarding protein, supposedly having the same effect on calcium loss. Forgetting about the heated hype (agenda) for a moment, any viewpoint can be correct for specific individuals, **but it cannot be applied for the masses** as there are as many people who exhibit below- normal protein / phosphates, as are those who are above-normal, so only individual assessments are valid. **Osteoporosis and arthritic conditions can develop with high and low protein / phosphate levels, which subsequently rules out “one-fits-all”- types of recommendations.** My WAG would be that for someone with a strong, healthy, efficient left kidney, the kidney can handle the stress of extra phosphorus in the diet, and the body simply excretes it as nature intended. If the kidney isn’t so strong or efficient, bad things happen. If you have any of the medical conditions listed above, perhaps those would be warning signs that your own particular body isn’t handling extra phosphorus so well. So I guess the answer is “maybe, maybe not, check with your doctor.” ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/3 "2005-01-14T23:05:46Z")
I am unaware of _any_ normal metabolic process for which there is a significant difference between the left and right kidneys. The site is just plain wrong (about the left and right kidney business. And it overstates the connection between dietary phosphate intake and osteoporosis). ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/4 "2005-01-14T23:13:44Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I am unaware of _any_ normal metabolic process for which there is a significant difference between the left and right kidneys. Yeah, I wondered about this too. It’s not like your system is saying, “Yo, left Kidney, you take the coca-cola, and the right, well… you just sit back and wait for the brownies.” ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/5 "2005-01-14T23:51:31Z")
You have to wear a sandwich board that says “Close cover before striking”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-health-consequences-of-too-much-phosphorus/284762/6 "2005-01-15T03:53:04Z")
After posting my response above, and having a bit more time, I wanted to shore up my comment that “the connection between dietary phosphate intake and osteoporosis was overstated”. In fact, there does not seem to be _any_ convincing evidence that high intake of dietary phosphate promotes osteoporosis (in people with normal kidneys). The current state of affairs in this regard was nicely summed up last year by Heaney in the _Mayo Clinic Procedings_, from which I quote: > [@](#): > > … phosphorus has been indicted in the genesis of osteoporosis,[sup]1[/sup] even if not convincingly, and the phosphorus content of colas, despite the lack of convincing evidence that they exert any harmful effects,[sup]2[/sup] has been cited repeatedly as the means whereby carbonated beverages may contribute to the genesis of bony fragility.[sup]3[/sup] Interestingly, orange juice has essentially the same phosphorus content as colas, and in countries with calcium fortification of orange juice, the phosphorus content may rise to 5 times that of a typical cola. To my knowledge, there has been no concern raised about the harmful effects of orange juice on the skeleton.