Effect of Phosphorus Supplementation on Body Weight

Phosphorus is a mineral that is naturally present in our foods and is required by our bodies for normal function. It has been found that phosphorus supplementation taken before meals has the potential to reduce meal size. However its long term effect has not been measured yet. It is well accepted that changes in body weight require about 3 months. Using body weight as the outcome, which is the ultimate outcome of weight loss approaches, would provide robust information on the role of phosphorus.

A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 63 adults aged 18 to 45 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or higher and normal kidney function at the American University of Beirut. Participants were randomly assigned to the placebo or phosphorus group where daily placebo or phosphorus supplements were ingested with three main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for a period of 12 weeks. Primary outcomes were changes in anthropometric measures, blood metabolites (including lipid profile, glucose, and insulin), and subjective appetite scores.

Inclusion Criteria: BMI>25 CR>1mg/dl for women; Cr >1.2 mg/dl for men GFR >60ml/min/1.73m2 Exclusion Criteria: BMI<25 presence of any significant medical disease, pregnancy or lactation, regular administration of drugs that affect body weight, and weight loss of 3% or more within 3 months of study entry.

Ayoub JJ, Samra MJ, Hlais SA, Bassil MS, Obeid OA. Effect of phosphorus supplementation on weight gain and waist circumference of overweight/obese adults: a randomized clinical trial. Nutr Diabetes. 2015 Dec 21;5(12):e189. doi: 10.1038/nutd.2015.38.