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Natural Home Cures · Mangosteen science

Phosphorus
& Mangosteen

Phosphorus: Building Bones
and Helping Cells Use Energy

Bones · Cells · Energy
Explore the science ↓
Editorial illustration: A mineral woven into bone.
The structural connectionA mineral woven into bone.Phosphorus and calcium are both part of bone mineral.

Phosphorus helps give bones strength, forms part of genetic material and helps cells transfer energy. It is also needed by plants. Here we explain these roles and research on mangosteen pericarp, the thick outer rind.

85%Of the body’s phosphorus
is in bones and teeth.(1)

01 · Begin with the essentials

Where the Body Uses Phosphorus

Much of the body’s phosphorus is in bones and teeth, where it combines with calcium. The remainder is used throughout blood and soft tissues in many kinds of molecules.(1)

02 · What does phosphorus do?

Phosphorus Helps Build
Bones and Cells

Conceptual cutaway of bone showing its internal structure

Bones and teeth.

Calcium and phosphorus combine in hydroxyapatite, the hard mineral that gives bones and tooth enamel strength.(1)

Conceptual DNA illustration representing genetic structure

DNA and RNA.

DNA and RNA carry and use genetic instructions. Phosphate groups help link their building blocks into long chains.(1)

Conceptual phospholipid membrane illustrating cell boundaries

Cell membranes.

Phosphorus-containing fats called phospholipids help form the membranes surrounding cells.(1)

03 · The energy-transfer connection

ATP.
Three Phosphate Groups.

ATP, short for adenosine triphosphate, is a small energy carrier that cells continually make and use. Its phosphate groups are part of the reactions that transfer energy for cellular work.(1)

Muscle contractionActive transportBuilding molecules
P = a phosphate group. This simplified diagram shows the three phosphate groups in ATP.

Nutrition in focus

Phosphorus Intake and Kidney Health

Phosphorus is widely available in food, so deficiency from an ordinary diet is uncommon. For someone with chronic kidney disease, managing phosphorus may require a different approach because the kidneys can have difficulty removing excess. Appropriate intake depends on the person’s overall health.(1)

Phosphorus is available in many everyday foods.

04 · A mineral across the diet

Everyday Phosphorus Sources.

Dairy, fish, legumes and nuts are among the many foods that contain phosphorus.(1)

Illustrative milk and cheese on limestone

Dairy

Milk, cheese and yogurt

Illustrative cooked salmon on a ceramic plate

Fish

Salmon and other fish

Illustrative lentils and chickpeas in ceramic bowls

Legumes

Lentils and beans

Illustrative nuts and pumpkin seeds on limestone

Nuts & seeds

Cashews and other varieties

The amount absorbed varies with the food and the chemical form of phosphorus.(1)

Plants also use phosphorus to build cells and transfer energy.

Illustrative ripening mangosteen fruit on a leafy branch

05 · Before the fruit is harvested

The Tree Needs
Phosphorus, Too.

Plants take up phosphorus from soil mainly as phosphate. They use it in energy transfer, nucleic acids and membranes.(2)

Soil phosphate→Root uptake→Living cells

Researchers have also measured phosphorus in mangosteen pericarp.

06 · Direct research on the pericarp

Phosphorus Measured in Mangosteen Pericarp

7.45milligrams per kilogramPhosphorus in dried mangosteen pericarp, as reported in a 2014 study.

What the researchers measured

Researchers compared several Indian Garcinia species. For the mineral analysis, they dried and finely powdered the fruit pericarp. They reported 7.45 milligrams of phosphorus per kilogram for Garcinia mangostana.(3)

Natural Home Cures mangosteen capsule bottle and fresh fruit on sunlit limestone

07 · From fruit to product

Whole Mangosteen Pericarp, Freeze-Dried

Our Freeze-Dried Rich Pericarp Mangosteen Capsules begin with the whole pericarp of Garcinia mangostana.

After harvest, the pericarp is freeze-dried and prepared for capsules. It remains a whole botanical ingredient with a mixture of naturally occurring constituents.

Explore our mangosteen →
The research behind this article

Source References

3 sources Show referencesHide references
  1. 01
    Nutrition referencePhosphorus: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.

    National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.

    Full citation
    National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Phosphorus: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
    View source
  2. 02
    Research referencePhosphorus Acquisition and Use: Critical Adaptations by Plants for Securing a Nonrenewable Resource

    Vance, Uhde-Stone and Allan (2003) · New Phytologist 157:423–447.

    Full citation
    Vance, Uhde-Stone and Allan (2003). Phosphorus Acquisition and Use: Critical Adaptations by Plants for Securing a Nonrenewable Resource. New Phytologist 157:423–447.
    View source
  3. 03
    Composition studyA Study on Nutrient and Medicinal Compositions of Selected Indian Garcinia Species

    Parthsarathy and Nandakishore (2014) · Current Bioactive Compounds 10:55–61.

    Full citation
    Parthsarathy and Nandakishore (2014). A Study on Nutrient and Medicinal Compositions of Selected Indian Garcinia Species. Current Bioactive Compounds 10:55–61.
    View source