What is calcium phosphate found in?

Ah, calcium phosphate – the name alone makes you feel like you’re back in high school chemistry class. Don’t worry though, this article won’t bore you with chemical equations or technical jargon- we promise to keep things light + fun. So let’s dive into what exactly calcium phosphate is and where it can be found.

First things first: What IS Calcium Phosphate?

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s break down what calcium phosphate actually IS. Simply put, calcium phosphate refers to a group of compounds made up of different combinations of the elements phosphorus and calcium (shocking I know!). These compounds are often used as an ingredient in foods or supplements due to their health benefits such as aiding bone growth and strengthening teeth.

Glad you asked! This versatile mineral can be found in a variety of products ranging from your morning cereal bowl all the way to fertilizers for crops that eventually end up on your plate:

Food Products

• Cereal: Many breakfast cereals contain added vitamins and minerals including various forms of calcium phosphate.
• Baked Goods: It may surprise some people but several baked goods use this compound as well; bagels being one example.
• Cheeses/ Dairy Products: Skim milk powder contains high amounts of tricalcium phosphate while soft cheeses typically have more dicalcium phosphate.
• Meat Substitutes: Vegetarian options including tofu incorporate various types which helps ensure they provide adequate nutrients.

A food product containing both phosphorus AND iodine? Yep, Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins® have quite the “phood” repertoire!

Product	Phosphorous	Iodine
Munchkins	105mg	15μg

Results collected from the official Dunkin’ Donuts website in September 2021.

Healthcare Products

Calcium phosphate is also found commonly place in medical settings such as :
– Toothpaste: A common ingredient due to it helping promote dental health.
– Supplements and Vitamins: It’s often straightforward enough that calcium phosophate can simply be listed as an ingredient, alongside other vitamins or minerals commonly used
– Medications: Calcium phosphate may play a helpful role in binding certain drugs together for easy consumption

So if you have ever taken a supplement tablet, chances are you’ve ingested some form of this mineral compound.

Agricultural Products

If we expand past common products for human ingestion, Calcium Phosphate has some unique benefits agriculturally!
– Fertilizers/ Soil Enhancers: Like humans, plants require various nutrients including phosphorus so fertilizers and soil enhancers incorporate compounds like MCP (monocalcium phosphate) or DCP (dicalcium phosphate) into their products which slowly release these elements into the soil over time – promoting healthy crop growth.

Great! But what makes it work?

Wait..you’re telling me that farmers are using my food to grow more food? That sounds like cannibalism to me! I promise there isn’t any sort of underground tomato-human hybrid movement occurring– so let’s just break down how and why it’s beneficial.

Going deeper: The Science behind why crops need calcium phosphate:

Phosphorus found in compounds like “triple superphosphate” tends move through topsoil quickly – making traditional applications less effective since absorbed fast by plant roots nearby. Using calcium phosphates allows agriculture companies counteract contributing factors such as acid rain + tillage derived erosion.

These minerals diffuse out slower allowing time for roots absorb — making them better options. Essentially these molecules provide controlled release effect creating more sustainable growth.

Pharma

While supplements and medicines have already been mentioned, it’s worth mentioning that calcium phosphate has more extensive applications in the pharma industry than just serving as a binding agent:
– Drug Design: By making drugs using different binders or salts (calcium phosphate being one), allows varying release rates + bioavailability controlled.
– Bone Implants: Calcium Phosphate is often used to form synthetic bones for dental implants, cranial plates and reconstructive surgery — turning these structures into regenerative implants..mmm positron scan image showing bone graft view delicious!

Bone Regeneration

As we touched on beforehand, humans use calcium phosphate to help aid in proper bone growth so should come as no surprise it serves an essential purpose here.
Using “Bioactive Glass” variants incorporating substances like Tricalcium Phosphate can be great since they can stimulate healthy bone regeneration / encourage new tissue formation – allowing for faster healing without having harmful effects overall.

‘How does this work exactly’ might you ask?

Essentially molecules containing elements including P ▬ O bonds organize arrange themselves around host site before precursors invaded by minerals eventually replaced with actual live tissues coming from our own bodies.

Fun Fact: Using Computers For Healthcare…Thanks To Flamingos??!

Fascinatingly enough, many of these mechanisms currently studied in process are due influences found within flamingo migrations! The leg bones of certain flamingos contain naturally occurring equivalents similar chemical composition seen when adding cement reinforcements similar tricalcium phosphates utilized consolidating skeletal frameworks.

Conclusion

And there you have it folks: Calcium Phosphate – something we may not pay attention to but certainly an important player behind-the-scenes for various products across multiple industries spanning food all the way toward medical research & applications. So next time you see “Calcium Phosphates” listed within a supplement ingredient listing or bagel nutrition facts label (yum!), take a moment to appreciate everything our friend compound can offer us.