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    1. About Kidney Disease
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      3. Kidney Disease Stages
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      5. What to Expect with CKD
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      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Dialysis Basics
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      6. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
      7. In-Center Hemodialysis
      8. Transplant
      9. Insurance & Managing Costs
      10. Choosing Not to Treat
    3. Life On Dialysis
      1. OVERVIEW
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      3. Staying Engaged
      4. Staying Healthy
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      6. Tips for Loved Ones
      7. PatientHub
    4. Recipes & Nutrition
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      4. Fluid Management on Dialysis
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    Find a Dialysis Center

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      1. About Kidney Disease
        1. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
          1. Symptoms
          2. Risk Factors
          3. Causes
          4. Diagnosis and Testing
          5. GFR Calculator
        2. Kidney Disease Stages
          1. Stage 1
          2. Stage 2
          3. Stage 3
          4. Stage 4
          5. Stage 5
        3. What Is a Nephrologist?
        4. What to Expect with CKD
        5. Kidney Disease Management
          1. Kidney Diet Basics
          2. CKD Medications
          3. Your Kidney Care Team
          4. Diabetes
          5. High Blood Pressure
        6. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
          1. Acute Kidney Injury Treatment and Recovery
        7. How Kidneys Work
        8. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
      2. Treatments
        1. Dialysis Basics
          1. How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work
          2. Starting Dialysis
          3. Types of Dialysis Access
          4. Your Care Plan
          5. Dialysis Medications
          6. Monitoring Your Lab Results
        2. Benefits of Home Dialysis
        3. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. PD Access
          4. PD Training
          5. PD Monitoring
          6. Your Care Team
        4. Home Hemodialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. HD Training
          4. HD Monitoring
          5. Your Care Team
        5. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
        6. In-Center Hemodialysis
          1. In-Center Treatment Options
          2. What to Expect
          3. Types of Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
          4. Your Care Team
          5. How to Choose a Center
        7. Transplant
          1. Finding a Kidney Donor
          2. Considering Kidney Donation
        8. Insurance & Managing Costs
          1. Understanding Medicare Coverage
          2. Understanding Medicare Advantage
          3. Understanding Employer Plans
        9. Choosing Not to Treat
      3. Life On Dialysis
        1. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
          1. Managing Your Emotions
          2. Talking About Dialysis
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          4. Body Image and Dialysis
          5. Building Your Dialysis Support Network
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        5. Tips for Loved Ones
          1. In-Center Hemodialysis
          2. At-Home Hemodialysis
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        6. PatientHub
      4. Recipes & Nutrition
        1. Recipes
        2. Managing Your Diet
          1. Eating Well on a CKD Diet
          2. Eating Well on a Dialysis Diet
          3. Salt and Kidney Disease
          4. Potassium and Kidney Disease
          5. Phosphorus and Kidney Disease
          6. Talking With Your Dietitian
        3. Fluid Management on Dialysis
        4. Dialysis Diet Planning
          1. Kidney-Friendly Shopping
          2. Eating Out
          3. Holiday Diet Tips
          4. A Chef’s Advice | Chef Aaron McCargo on Kidney Friendly Meals
        5. Cookbooks
      5. Thrive Central
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      1. Home
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      3. Diet & Nutrition
      4. Nutrition Basics: What Is Phosphorus?
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      Nutrition Basics: What Is Phosphorus?

      Phosphorus is a mineral found in many foods. One important function it performs in your body is working with calcium to build strong, healthy bones. When you have kidney disease, it's harder for your kidneys to remove extra phosphorus, causing a harmful buildup. Following your prescribed dialysis meal plan can help you maintain a healthy level of phosphorus and feel your best.

      How much phosphorus do I need? 

      The amount of phosphorus in your body will be measured through regular labs. A target phosphorus level for people on dialysis is 3.0-5.5 mg/dL.

      What if my phosphorus level is too high or too low?

      If your phosphorus level is too high in your lab results, work with your dietitian. He or she will talk to you about limiting processed foods, taking your phosphate binders and completing all dialysis treatments exactly as prescribed for the full treatment time.

      If your phosphorus level is too low, your dietitian can work with you to make sure you’re getting enough protein and calories in your diet.

      WhatToRemember_Icon

      WHAT TO REMEMBER:

      Avoid added phosphorus (PHOS).
      Phosphoric acid, sodium phosphate, polyphosphate, monocalcium phosphate, hexametaphosphate

      LEARNING TO SPOT THE PHOS

      Your healthiest choices will be foods with no added phosphorus (PHOS). When reading food labels, look for any ingredient with the letters "PHOS"—and avoid it.

      What are phosphorus binders and why do I need them?

      Phosphorus binders (sometimes called phosphate binders) are a type of medication that helps prevent your body from absorbing phosphorus from the food you eat. Dialysis only removes a small amount of phosphorus from your blood. Taking phosphorus binders at every meal can help manage your phosphorus level. Your doctor or dietitian can help you understand exactly how many to take and when to take them.

      NEED HELP WITH YOUR PHOSPHORUS BINDERS?

      The renal pharmacists at FreseniusRx can help you understand and manage all of your prescribed medications, including phosphorus binders.

      Learn More

      What is phosphate? Is it the same thing as phosphorus?

      While phosphorus occurs naturally in many foods, phosphates are chemicals added to foods to alter taste, texture or shelf life. Basically any "PHOS" word in an ingredient list means that phosphorus is being added to your food—and it all has the same unhealthy effect on your body.
      Explore kidney friendly recipes

      COOK YOUR OWN KIDNEY-FRIENDLY MEALS

      When you cook for yourself, you can take charge of your own phosphorus, sodium, and more. For more help crafting your own kidney-friendly diet, check out our recipes!
      EXPLORE RECIPES

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