Too much phosphate in your food might age you faster
Controlled dietary phosphate loading in healthy young men elevates plasma phosphate and FGF23 levels
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
PTH, vitamin D, and stress hormones (dopamine, epinephrine) didn’t budge — only FGF23 and Klotho changed.
Everyone assumed PTH and vitamin D would react to phosphate spikes — but they stayed flat, making FGF23 the lone, dominant regulator, which contradicts textbook physiology.
Practical Takeaways
Cut back on processed foods, sodas, and fast food — they’re loaded with inorganic phosphate additives (check labels for 'phos' in ingredients).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
PTH, vitamin D, and stress hormones (dopamine, epinephrine) didn’t budge — only FGF23 and Klotho changed.
Everyone assumed PTH and vitamin D would react to phosphate spikes — but they stayed flat, making FGF23 the lone, dominant regulator, which contradicts textbook physiology.
Practical Takeaways
Cut back on processed foods, sodas, and fast food — they’re loaded with inorganic phosphate additives (check labels for 'phos' in ingredients).
Publication
Journal
Pflugers Archiv
Year
2024
Authors
Jennifer Scotti Gerber, E. M. P. Arroyo, J. Pastor, Miguel Correia, Stefan Rudloff, Orson W. Moe, Daniela Egli-Spichtig, N. Mohebbi, Carsten A. Wagner
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
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 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.
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.