Keep Your Bones Healthy

Phosphorus is a mineral found in your bones and along with Calcium, it keeps your bones strong.  When your kidneys fail, eating foods high in phosphorus can cause your blood phosphorus levels to get too high.  This will pull calcium out of your bones and make your bones weak.  Also, if the phosphorus and calcium levels get too high in your blood, your heart, blood vessels and lungs can harden due to calcium deposits.

A safe level to keep your phosphorus is between 4.0 and 5.5.  Dialysis removes very little phosphorus so it is important to limit high phosphorus foods in your diet.