If healthy young men eat more phosphate-rich food for just five days, their blood phosphate levels go up—and so does a hormone called iFGF23 that helps control phosphate in the body.

When healthy young men eat a lot of phosphate for five days, their body doesn’t change the levels of several key hormones — so scientists think a different hormone called FGF23 is the main one responding to the extra phosphate.

If young men eat a lot of phosphate for five days, their bodies start peeing out less calcium—probably because the phosphate and calcium stick together in the gut before they can be absorbed.

If young men eat a lot of phosphate for five days, their body makes less of a special hormone called Klotho that helps keep bones and kidneys healthy — so too much phosphate might quiet down this helpful hormone.

When healthy young men eat a lot of phosphate, their body makes more FGF23, which seems to lower the active form of vitamin D and raise a hormone called PTH — like the body is trying to balance things out.

Eating a lot of processed foods with added phosphate might cause your body to absorb too much phosphate, which could harm your health—even if blood tests show your phosphate levels are normal.