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Phosphorus & Sodium: Both elements share left / right-sided cell receptors and are considered
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essential to human health. When using intracellular measurements, phosphorus (P) and sodium (Na)
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allow for unique diagnostic and therapeutic properties in regard to renal functions, where in contrast
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to their serum status, intracellular levels extend from a low degenerative, to a high inflammatory range.
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Both kidneys are capable of handling the entire range of renal functions, but the right kidney generally
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controls sodium-related aspects, and the left kidney protein / phosphorus-related aspects, provided
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both kidneys are present, and in reasonable health.
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While this may initially sound strange to some uninformed practitioners, it makes a lot of sense once
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the reasons are analyzed why in the great majority of cases, patients end up with only one-sided kidney
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disturbances, whether they be kidney stones, infections, or other problems. It is not unusual to hear of
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patients who produce hundreds, or even thousands of kidney stones in one kidney only, but never the
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other, unless the first involved kidney is removed.
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When comparing the chemical profiles of a kidney donor and the kidney recipient before and after
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surgery, one gains a wealth of information on individual kidney functions and how to assist in their
efficiency without drugs, and how they are not equal in maintaining pH balance, which can be very
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easily measured in both, the donor and recipient, after either the left or right kidney is donated.
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For instance, when a patient presents with a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), a cellular analysis will
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reveal the involvement and extent of the condition:
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 If the bladder is affected, there is a significant rise in potassium.
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If the right kidney is affected, there is a significant rise in sodium.
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If the left kidney is affected, there is a significant rise in phosphorus.
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Treatments can be formulated accordingly - either by prescribing conventional medications (if not
familiar with nutritional concepts), or by simply lowering elevated levels pertaining to the above
indicators, using common nutritional or biochemical principles:
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Sodium: chromium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate, Vitamin B2
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Phosphorus: calcium, zinc, Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
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Potassium: chromium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, Vitamin B3/4
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Intracellular tests will identify the appropriate minerals / nutrients which will be low in ratio to the one(s)
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corresponding to the infection, and will thus help identify a (contributing) cause, provide a treatment, and
establish a basis for future prevention.
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While potassium supplementation could be theoretically considered with right-sided kidney infections,
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it has to be used with caution because of its pro-inflammatory effect on the bladder when high, and in
the event of a kidney and bladder infection, potassium would have to be lowered along with sodium.
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When selectively overdosing on phosphorus / protein or sodium beyond an individual's renal capacity,
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and provided both kidneys are equally efficient at the start, the right kidney will become diseased first
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with sodium, and the left one first with phosphorus (or protein). Very one-sided diets, or long-term use
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of specific drugs can affect both kidneys differently as well.
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Despite its essential requirement, sodium (salt) tends to suffer a bad reputation as a result of being
linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke. While one cannot dispute its involvement, sodium only
affects about one third of the population in that regard. The rest can be divided among those where:
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• someone's health is largely unaffected by the amount of salt (sodium chloride) consumed,
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• adequate sodium / salt intake is necessary to help counteract a tendency for low blood pressure and
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low sodium-related symptoms, such as dehydration, spinal / joint degeneration, depression, fatigue...,
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as well as help reverse higher LDL / HDL cholesterol ratios.
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While the liver largely controls total cholesterol, kidney chemistry has a primary effect on LDL / HDL
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ratios, whereby low sodium, and low phosphorus and/or protein encourage higher production of LDL
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cholesterol and VLDL triglycerides. On the other hand, a high sodium / magnesium ratio, and/or a
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high phosphorus / calcium ratio are implicated with some forms of gout. Depending how efficient the
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body is in recycling chloride, low salt intake can also be a reason for reduced stomach acid levels.
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• salt should be used sparingly due to very low Aldosterone Levels, which are inhibited even more
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by higher salt intake.
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People who are sodium-sensitive generally are well aware of their problem, as they quickly retain
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extra water when ingesting larger amounts of salt, or their blood pressure goes up. However there
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are those who respond the opposite, where for instance drinking a medium-sized glass of water
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saturated with common table salt will have them keep running to the bathroom some time later, with
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some individuals losing perhaps as much as 10-15 lb of water weight. This is similar to the opposing
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effect of simple sugar consumption on hypoglycemia versus hyperglycemia.
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In such a case, the strategy is not to increase someone's salt intake, but to boost aldosterone levels,
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which will subsequently increase sodium retention. Nutritional factors such as choline, Vitamin B1,
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iron, licorice, and - to a small extent - Vitamin E can be used for that purpose, whichever ones match
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an individual's requirements best.
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Occasionally I see patients exhibiting very low sodium, and medication-resistant high blood pressure,
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in which case sodium-raising supplements - by normalizing blood viscosity - resolve their hypertension.
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Since an individual's Renal Capacity declines over a lifetime, it may be prudent for anyone - especially
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those with a family history of kidney problems - to avoid drugs, medications, or even foods or nutritional
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supplements that have a tendency to compromise kidey functions and accelerate that process. Most
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prescription drugs, particularly blood thinners and NSAIDs, and many OTC drugs (Aspirin, Ibuprofen...)
have a detrimental effect on renal functions, so patients and their practitioners have to carefully weigh a
drug's benefits against those negative aspects.
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Dietary factors that - in excess - have an unfavorable impact on kidney functions include foods with
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a high oxalic acid content such as found in rhubarb, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, cocoa products,
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and beets (especially beet greens), very high protein diets that are followed for longer periods of time,
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high phosphorus-containing foods or beverages (meats, seafood, eggs, grains, dairy, nuts, soft drinks),
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real (glycyrrhizin-containing) licorice, as well as excessive amounts of alcohol or creatine supplements.
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This also applies to insufficient intake of calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, Vitamin K, Vitamin C
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with bioflavonoids, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), and other essential nutrients.
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Of course a single, major kidney infection (e.g. from E.coli) may cause enough kidney damage to result
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in early hypertension, or even require dialysis.
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Foot odor is almost entirely related to kidney functions, and only to a lesser degree to tight, enclosed
shoes. Similarly, Fungal Infections such as Athlete's Foot (tinea pedis), can only take place when
the "terrain" allows the spread of a fungus - with the terrain being determined by the chemical make-up
of the foot sweat of those people with reduced kidney functions. Anyone with healthy kidneys can walk
across a wet gym floor and will not end up with athlete's foot.
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Normalizing renal chemistry (i.e. sodium, protein / phosphates) will normalize the chemical composition
of someone's foot sweat, followed by the disappearance of any fungal infections, as well as foot odor.
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Phosphorus, when high in ratio to calcium, is well established as being a contributing factor with bone
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loss / osteoporosis, and many articles have been published on the dangers of consuming too many
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soft drinks because of their high phosphorus content. A similar message is being preached regarding
protein, supposedly having the same effect on calcium loss.
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Forgetting about the heated hype (agenda) for a moment, any viewpoint can be correct for specific
individuals, but it cannot be applied for the masses as there are as many people who exhibit below-
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normal protein / phosphates, as are those who are above-normal, so only individual assessments are
valid. Osteoporosis and arthritic conditions can develop with high and low protein / phosphate levels,
which subsequently rules out "one-fits-all"- types of recommendations.
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Long-term monitoring of patients shows high / low sodium-related cases being more right-side specific
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in regard to joint damage, while high / low protein + phosphate-related cases are generally more left-
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side specific in regard to joint damage, so striking a happy medium goes a long way in the prevention
of many of these problems.
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Phosphorus and calcium metabolism is linked, and requires Vitamin D for uptake. Blood levels of
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phosphorus are increased by parathyroid hormone, and decreased by the thyroid hormone calcitonin.
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The kidneys excrete phosphates if blood levels rise, and they excrete less when dietary phosphate
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intake is low.
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Phosphorus is present as Phytates in grains and cereals, so if bread is made from unleavened flour,
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the phytic acid will bind to iron, calcium, zinc and other minerals and reduce their rate of absorption.
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Phosphorus aids muscle contraction, acts as a buffer for acid-base balance in the body, helps regulate
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the heartbeat, and supports proper nerve conduction. It is also necessary for the conversion of niacin
and riboflavin to their active coenzyme forms.
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Cancer cells tend to lose phosphorus more readily than normal cells, as a result, phosphorus - usually
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consumed in the form of protein - may be useful in the nutritional support of cancer patients. A majority
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of cancers present with a cellular phosphorus / sodium ratio that is too low (having a high pH, or being
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too alkaline). In contrast, the general consensus for blood pH is that it should be fractionally higher (or
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more alkaline) for cancer-preventive or therapeutic purposes. (see also Acu-Cell Disorders "Cancer").
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Hormonal control of sodium (and also chloride and potassium) balance is regulated by the adrenal
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cortex hormones as well as by the anterior pituitary gland. Addison's Disease is a life-threatening
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disease caused by partial or complete failure of the adrenal cortex and involves the loss of sodium
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and potassium. Symptoms include weakness, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, weight loss, cold
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sensitivity, and a craving for salt. Other sodium deficiencies can result from heavy sweating, or with
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severe dietary restriction, i.e. low sodium formulas fed to infants caused their brains to swell, causing
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death.
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Sodium plays a vital role in controlling osmotic pressure, which develops between the blood and cells
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due to ionic concentration differences, and it assists in maintaining the proper acid-base balance by
balancing charges of negatively charged ions such as chloride, phosphate and bicarbonate.
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The total volume of extracellular fluid is determined by sodium levels, while sodium concentration and
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water balance are controlled by interplay of the kidneys and a number of hormones. When the level of
sodium drops, the kidney releases the enzyme renin. Renin catalyzes the conversion of a blood protein
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to angiotensin, which in turn stimulates the adrenal gland to release aldosterone, a hormone that causes
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the kidney to increase the rate of sodium reabsorption to correct the original sodium depletion.
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When dietary sodium intake is high, the kidneys rapidly excretes sodium, whereby excessive sodium
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intake and retention can lead to edema / water retention. ¤
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==============================================================================
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Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is the latest term replacing daily dietary reference values such as
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Adequate Intake (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), Estimated Average Requirements (EAR),
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Nutrient Reference Value (NRV), and Recommended Dietary Allowance / Intake (RDA / RDI).
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Phosphorus / Phosphate:Sodium:
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DRI (RDA):DRI (RDA):
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0-6 months350mg0-6 months0.10g - 0.35g
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6-12 months500mg6-12 months0.25g - 0.75g
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1-10 years800mg1-10 years0.35g - 1.80g
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11-18 years1,200mg11-18 years1g - 2.5g
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18 years +800mg18 years +1g - 3.5g
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18 years + (new for 2004)1.5g
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pregnant / lactating+ 400mgpregnant / lactating+0g
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Therapeutic Range:0.5g - 2g+ Therapeutic Range:2g - 12g+
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Cellular / Intracellular Attributes and Interactions:
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Phosphorus Synergists:Sodium Synergists:
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Germanium, manganese, nickel, Vitamin C,Silicon / silica, iron, cobalt, choline, Vitamin E,
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niacin, niacinamide,Vitamin D, lecithin, protein,Vitamin B1, Vit B12, [Vitamin B6 short-term],
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Phosphorus Antagonists / Inhibitors:Sodium Antagonists / Inhibitors:
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Calcium, zinc, potassium, boron, Vitamin B5,Magnesium, potassium, zinc, Vitamin B2,
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caffeine,folate, [Vitamin B6 long-term],
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Low Levels / Deficiency - Symptoms and/or Risk Factors:
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Phosphorus:Sodium:
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Osteoporosis, joint / bone pain, arthritis, weakness, Fatigue, depression, mental apathy, low blood
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weight loss, higher WBC, higher risk for severalpressure, headaches, dehydration, confusion,
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cancers, dehydration, kidney stones,dizziness, arthritis, kidney stones, seizures,
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(occasionally high blood pressure, or edema),
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High levels / Overdose / Toxicity / Negative Side Effects - Symptoms and/or Risk Factors:
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Phosphorus:Sodium:
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Osteoporosis, arthritis, gout, dental problemsEdema, hypertension, stroke, dizziness, gout,
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(loose teeth, caries), skin eruptions, lowered WBC,headaches, kidney damage, kidney stones,
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higher risk for several cancers, kidney stones,stomach problems, nausea, vomiting, coma,
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Phosphorus Sources:Sodium Sources:
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Meat, fish, grains, dairy products, seeds, nuts,Meat, fish, dairy products, celery, table salt,
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eggs, most fruits and vegetables, soft drinks,canned foods and soups, baking soda, MSG. ¤
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General recommendations for nutritional supplementation: To avoid stomach problems and promote
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better tolerance, supplements should always be taken earlier, or in the middle of a larger meal. When
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taken on an empty stomach or after a meal, there is a greater risk of some tablets causing irritation, or
eventually erosion of the esophageal sphincter, resulting in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).
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It is also advisable not to lie down immediately after taking any pills.
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When taking a very large daily amount of a single nutrient, it is better to split it up into smaller doses to
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not interfere with the absorption of other nutrients in food, or nutrients supplemented at lower amounts.
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Copyright © 2000-2008 Ronald Roth Acu-Cell Nutrition: Sodium & Phosphorus
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