Medical Services | Health Information | Appointments | Education and Research | Jobs | About

Low phosphorus diet for kidney disease

My husband has kidney disease and has been told that he has to reduce phosphorus in his diet. What foods contain phosphorus?

- No name / No state given

Mayo Clinic urologist Erik Castle, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

Almost all foods contain some phosphorus, so you can't eliminate all phosphorus from your diet. However, you can significantly decrease your phosphorus intake by limiting or avoiding certain foods.

Your kidneys help regulate phosphorus levels in your body. Impaired kidney function eventually results in elevated phosphorus levels (hyperphosphatemia), which causes a decrease in blood-calcium levels and can lead to bone loss. For this reason, people with kidney disease often need to limit dietary phosphorus.

Foods high in phosphorus include milk and milk products, whole grains, dried beans and peas, nuts and seeds, organ meats, meat and fish, colas, chocolate and some types of baking powder. If you must limit your dairy intake, ask your doctor if a calcium supplement is appropriate for you. Also, make sure to avoid medications and supplements that contain phosphorus.

If you are having difficulty understanding or following a low phosphorus diet, consult a registered dietitian.

Foods high in phosphorus Food substitutions that are lower in phosphorus
Instead of this Phosphorus (milligrams, or mg) Try this Phosphorus (mg)
1 cup milk, pudding or yogurt 230 1 cup soy or rice milk, or limit to no more than 1/2 cup milk/dairy per day 120-150 (Individual brands vary, so check the label.)
1 cup cream soup made with milk, such as split pea, dried bean or lentil 125-150 1 cup broth-based soup made with water Less than 100
1 ounce processed or hard cheese 100-215 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cream cheese, including Neufchatel 35
1 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt 150-200 1/2 cup sherbet or 1 popsicle 0

1 slice or 1 piece whole-grain bread

Cornbread, biscuits, muffins, pancakes or waffles made with baking powder containing phosphate

1 cup whole-grain products (bran or granola-type cereals, snacks and breads), oatmeal, brown rice, bulgur

 60-180

1 slice or 1 piece refined white bread

Quick breads, muffins, pancakes or waffles made with baking powder containing sodium aluminum sulfate

Refined low-fiber cereals, plain crackers and chips, white rice

 10-50
12 ounces cola soda 50 12 ounces noncola soda 3
Organ meats such as beef kidney or liver More than 400 per 3 ounces Limit meat, poultry and fish to no more than 5 ounces a day 200 or less per 3 ounces
1 cup legumes, including dried peas and beans, lima beans, kidney beans, soybeans or lentils 150-350 1 cup white potato (1 medium), onions, pumpkin, cucumber, winter and summer squashes, mixed vegetables, beets, other greens, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, fresh tomatoes, cauliflower, turnips, green beans, wax beans, peppers or celery Less than 80
1 cup other vegetables, including artichokes, corn, sweet potatoes, green peas, parsnips, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, canned tomato products, asparagus, brussels sprouts, pumpkin or okra 80-140
1 ounce peanuts 100 1 cup popcorn 26
1.5 ounce chocolate bar 95 1 ounce hard candy, gumdrops, butterscotch or gummy-type candy 0

Source: USDA Nutrient Database, 2004

Note: Nutrition labels list phosphorus as a percent of Daily Value (%DV). To calculate how many milligrams of phosphorus are in one serving, multiply the percent listed by 1,000.

ARTICLE TOOLS

Print
E-mail this
Larger type
Reprints and permissions icon Reprints and permissions

ASK A KIDNEYS & URINARY SYSTEM SPECIALIST

More Information

Advertising and sponsorship policy
Jul 19, 2008