Phosphorus

What it does

Phosphorus is the body's second most abundant mineral after calcium, and the two work as a team: most of the body's phosphorus is combined with calcium in bones and teeth as the hard mineral that gives them strength and rigidity. A steady supply is needed alongside calcium and vitamin D to build and maintain a healthy skeleton throughout life.

Away from the skeleton, phosphorus is chemically indispensable. It forms the backbone of DNA and RNA, so it is part of the genetic material in every cell. It is the "P" in ATP, the molecule that stores and delivers energy, meaning no cell can power its activities without it. Phosphorus is also built into the phospholipids that make up cell membranes and helps buffer the body's acid–base balance.

Phosphorus is found in a wide range of foods — meat, fish, dairy, eggs, pulses, nuts and wholegrains — and it is also added to many processed foods and colas as phosphate additives, so deficiency from diet alone is rare. Because it is so widely available, the more relevant issue for most people is that the balance between phosphorus and calcium is kept sensible; the kidneys play the main role in regulating phosphorus levels day to day.