Iron and Potassium

ThrashZone

I just cannot reach 100% for these nutrients. I have searched the web for foods rich in them and added them into my diet, BUT I just cannot get more than 50% DRV without going over my calorie goal. Help? suggestion? Or should I not worry about it.....?

KyleeNicolle

Iron and potassium are completely vital (especially potassium as it contributes to cardiac function) in order for your body to function. I have had issues my WHOLE life with low iron and potassium. I take a multivitamin every day now, make sure I replace my electrolytes after working out with Gatorade (when you workout you lose sodium and potassium).

It's hard to go by the DRV as they don't specify on labels that men and women actually require different amounts of nutrients as our bodies are quite different. Men need significantly lower amounts of iron than women do. Somewhere around 8mg a day, when us women need about 18mg a day.

Have you been to your doctor and been told that your iron or potassium levels are low? If not and you are concerned you can certainly ask your doctor to get labwork done and see. I'm sure you've probably googled the symptoms of being iron/potassium deficient. If you are taking a multivitamin, and eating the iron/potassium rich foods I don't think you should worry too much unless you're having symptoms.

Hope that helps!

Kylee(RN)

seasicksquid

Have you tried fortified cereals? I usually do 1/2 to 1 serving per day to help with my anemia. Quaker Oatmeal Squares are great for a quick snack and pack 90% of your DRV iron, which is one of the hardest to get and better digested than a supplement.

stealthq

You're going to have problems tracking potassium. Lots of nutritional labels don't provide it, so it often doesn't get into the database even when the other micros are there.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you are either hyper or hypokalemic or have symptoms of such.

Iron is easier to track since it's required (pretty sure) to be on the labels, but still some entries won't include it because people just enter the macros, or just the calories. Double check the entry has micros entered before using it. You might find you're getting enough iron after all.

If you're still concerned about your levels, you can get some blood work done to check. Or, you could look up some high iron foods like red meat and include those a bit more frequently in your diet.

shreddedtrooper

hmm, kiwis', potatoes, spinach, broccoli... A lot of greens. Beef grains.

Google will be your best friend.

The choice then comes into play do you want to fit these in within your intake for the day and hit those numbers.

Agreed however, a lot of entries don't add this in and your missing out, find good entries that are consistent with.. google. You can very easily exceed that requirement but takes some effort and good selections within MFP, hope this helps.

Oh... and i'm in love with the coco. So basically some coco water will add some potassium.

Timbawolfff ftw, sodium and potassium high yup! and also gotta throw in there : periodization.Reverse.Science. Praise be to Layne Norton

erickirb

Iron: Red meat
Potassium: potatoes, bananas

lizrn2008

I hope this helps:

http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Minerals/Food-Sources-of-Iron.aspx

WhizGidget

Iron: liver, oysters. Not my favorite foods. Not even something I consider eating when it's an option.

I tend to take a supplement (Feosol - the Bifera version), and eat dry cereal as a snack. Product 19 is my drug of choice. Then there's the spinach and chicken salads I have a few times a week.

qn4bx9pzg8aifd

POTASSIUM --

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=90&tname=nutrient

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php#potassium-rich-foods

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php#potassium-density-by-gram

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-potassium-vegetables.php

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-potassium-fruits.php



IRON --

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php
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Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, even better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C [...]

Iron is found in food in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron, which makes up 40 percent of the iron in meat, poultry, and fish, is well absorbed. Non-heme iron, 60 percent of the iron in animal tissue and all the iron in plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts) is less well absorbed. Because vegan diets only contain non-heme iron, vegans should be especially aware of foods that are high in iron and techniques that can promote iron absorption. Recommendations for iron for vegetarians (including vegans) may be as much as 1.8 times higher than for non-vegetarians.

[...]

The reason for the satisfactory iron status of many vegans may be that commonly eaten foods are high in iron, as Table 1 shows. In fact, if the amount of iron in these foods is expressed as milligrams of iron per 100 calories, many foods eaten by vegans are superior to animal-derived foods. This concept is illustrated in Table 2. For example, you would have to eat more than 1700 calories of sirloin steak to get the same amount of iron as found in 100 calories of spinach.

Another reason for the satisfactory iron status of vegans is that vegan diets are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Adding a vitamin C source to a meal increases non-heme iron absorption up to six-fold which makes the absorption of non-heme iron as good or better than that of heme iron 4.

Fortunately, many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, such as beans and tomato sauce or stir-fried tofu and broccoli, also result in generous levels of iron absorption.

It is easy to obtain iron on a vegan diet. Table 3 shows several menus whose iron content is markedly higher than the RDA for iron.

Both calcium and tannins (found in tea and coffee) reduce iron absorption. Tea, coffee, and calcium supplements should be used several hours before a meal that is high in iron.
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http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php#iron-rich-foods

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php#iron-density-by-gram

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/fruits-and-vegetables-high-in-iron.php


"The Best Sources of Iron That You'll Actually Want to Eat" --

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/20/best-sources-of-iron_n_5998776.html
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One not-so-smart pairing: Any iron-rich meal with black or green tea, which has tannic acid that binds to iron, making it harder for the body to process.
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http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/iron-sources
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If your body doesn't have enough iron, your muscles can't recover as quickly post-workout.
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Lastly... Swiss Chard is high in both Potassium *and* Iron... but 'beware' re: Calcium --
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Swiss chard and spinach are high in oxalic acid, a food component that inhibits calcium absorption. Pairing these dark green vegetables with milk can lessen the amount of calcium your body absorbs from the milk. If you fill your plate with Swiss chard or spinach, avoid eating dairy foods with your meals. This way your body can fully absorb all the calcium from your glass of milk.
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