1. If there are no symptoms, how will I know if I have an abnormal phosphate level?
Abnormal phosphate levels are usually detected because of the relationship with and effect on calcium. If you have abnormal calcium levels, your doctor usually will check your phosphate and alkaline phosphatase level.
2. Can vegetarians meet their phosphate needs without resorting to meat or dairy products?
Yes, but only about 50% of the phosphate in plant sources such as beans, lentils, grains, peanuts and almonds is available to the body because we lack the enzymes to process it. An exception to this is yeast breads because yeast provides the necessary enzyme.
