Impact of Phosphate Diet on Phosphate and Calcium Excretion

Phosphate is present in many of the foods that the investigators eat and is required by many cellular processes. The kidneys are the only organ that excrete the extra phosphate from the diet that the body does not require. Phosphate is linked to vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease. Measures of serum phosphate do not reflect the burden of phosphate and are not sensitive to early changes in the way the kidneys eliminate phosphate. This study will determine whether the kidneys handle an oral phosphate load differently after 5 days of a low phosphate diet compared to 5 days of a high phosphate diet.