Not all patients with kidney disease need to cut down on phosphate. Even on dialysis, a few lucky people donā't. If you don't need to - don't! Most people only need to adjust their phosphate intake when they have quite severe kidney disease.
High phosphate levels can cause bone disease, itching, and calcium deposits in arteries and elsewhere. Blood tests show your level - the target is below 1.8mmol/l.
This page is a quick guide to foods that are high in phosphate. It is not a substitute for speaking to a renal Dietitian, who will look at your whole diet, not just the phosphate.
Further information contact your renal Dietitian
Main sources of dietary phosphate
| Foods high in Phosphate | Alternative choices |
|---|
Dairy* - milk, cheese, yoghurts, eggs, ice cream
*The dietitian will give you allowances
of these foods | Milk substitute e.g. double cream &
water, Soft cheese or cheese spread, Double cream |
| Meat liver, kidney, pate, game | Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey,
rabbit |
| Fish shell fish, kippers, whitebait,
roe | White fish, fish fingers/cakes, tuna,
salmon |
| Breakfast cereals Cereals
containing bran, nuts or chocolate | All other cereals |
| Biscuits / Cakes chocolate
biscuits, oatcakes, scones, flapjacks,
rye crisp bread | Cream crackers, water biscuits,
digestives, rich tea, shortbread,
crumpet, pancake, doughnuts,
jaffa cakes, pastries |
| Miscellaneous milk chocolate,
nuts, baking powder, cocoa,
marzipan, Horlicks, Marmite | Plain chocolate, boiled sweets, jelly
sweets, mints, chewing gum |
Diet alone is rarely enough and almost all patients with high phosphate levels will also need to take Phosphate binders.
Phosphate binders
- It is important to take these at just the right time, immediately before eating foods high in phosphate, whether these are meals or snacks.
- Taken at other times they will not work.
- The following table gives a quick guide to some of the binders you may be
given:
The amount you should take will be determined by your Doctor and Dietitian only take what has been prescribed.
What they are and what they look like
PHOSPHATE BINDING MEDICATION
 | Alucap (Aluminium Hydroxide)
Green & red capsule | Swallow |
 | Calcichew (Calcium Carbonate)
White, round tablet | Chew |
 | Calcium 500 (Calcium Carbonate)
Pink, oval tablet | Swallow |
 | Renagel 800mg (Sevelamer)
White, oval capsule | Swallow |
 | Fosrenol
White, round tablet
Marked S405 and size | Chew |
 | Phosex (Calcium Acetate)
White, oval tablet | Swallow |
|
