Dicalcium phosphate is an ionic salt, meaning it’s made up of charged particles of calcium and phosphate, both of which humans need in the diet.
Contents
Uses
- Dibasic calcium phosphate is mainly used as a dietary supplement in prepared breakfast cereals, dog treats, enriched flour, and noodle products.
- It is also used as a tableting agent in some pharmaceutical preparations, including some products meant to eliminate body odor. Dibasic calcium phosphate is also found in some dietary calcium supplements (e.g. Bonexcin).
- It is used in poultry feed. It is also used in some toothpastes as a tartar control agent.
Benefits
- This compound is also used in the pharmaceutical industry as a tableting agent.
- Its insoluble nature makes it useful as a pharmaceutical excipient, which means that it is used as a carrier for various medications such as those used to eliminate body odor.
- The insolubility has also been the focus of several studies into its viability as a delayed-release matrix for highly water soluble drugs.
- This may have a positive impact on the industry, as DCP is a simple and cheap material to use in these applications.
Cautions
- Due to its fairly high concentration of calcium, dicalcium phosphate should be used with caution by breast feeding mothers and those suffering from lung diseases, parathyroid disease, diarrhea, or kidney stones.
- Overdose symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, thirst, and a dry mouth. As with most supplements, a healthcare professional’s advice should be sought before taking it
Interactions
None are recorded.
Other names
DCP
Reference
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicalcium_phosphate#Uses
WiseGeek, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-dicalcium-phosphate.htm
LiveStrong, http://www.livestrong.com/article/472086-what-is-the-purpose-of-dicalcium-phosphate/