Does anyone get 100% of their iron intake from food alone?

fknlardarse
fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Struggle every day to get enough iron, I take a good multi vitamin to increase my iron intake but I just wondered how on earth anyone gets their full iron intake every single day from food alone? Especially at 1200 calories but even on 2000 I would struggle. My son was anaemic at one point so I would love to make sure we all easily get enough iron from food and no relying on supplements.
Thanks
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Replies

  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
  • CouleeRunner
    CouleeRunner Posts: 256 Member
    My diary tells me that I only ever reach about 60% a day which worried me but I know my iron levels are fine. I give blood regularly and that's something they check before you are allowed to donate.

    My daughter is very low in iron but can't take liquid supplements. We keep her iron levels up by giving her iron rich foods combined with vitamin c sources (spinach and strawberries) (beans and tomatoes). That plus a daily Flinstones vitamin (the one with added iron) is enough to keep her iron levels up to a normal level.
  • Ohnoes
    Ohnoes Posts: 98 Member
    never! thats the one im always missing. how do people do that? i cook with cast iron pans sometimes and thats supposed to add dietary iron. watching this
  • fknlardarse
    fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
    We eat iron rich foods too with vitamin c foods to help absorption but still don't get anywhere near enough from just food, my son also has a kids multi vitamin like you but how does anyone do it without that?
  • trishthedish79
    trishthedish79 Posts: 1 Member
    I am a celiac and the most I ever eat is 50% of my recomende iron intake. Bread, pasta and cereals are usually iron-fortified so I miss out on iron sources that way. My blood work shows that I am not anemic and my iron stores are ok, but I am considering an iron supplement again as I'm always cold and tired, especially after my period,
  • fknlardarse
    fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
    They are not naturally high in iron they are supplemented, so it's the same as taking a pill. When my son was anaemic the pediatrician told us to give him cereals as they are fortified but I think that's terrible, kids cereals are full of sugar. There must be a natural way otherwise the whole population must be slightly iron deficient?
  • rose_gian
    rose_gian Posts: 43
    I know that iron is a tricky mineral to absorb in the body so if you are deficient its best to take a supplement.
  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
    They are not naturally high in iron they are supplemented, so it's the same as taking a pill. When my son was anaemic the pediatrician told us to give him cereals as they are fortified but I think that's terrible, kids cereals are full of sugar. There must be a natural way otherwise the whole population must be slightly iron deficient?

    I realize they're supplemented...but depending on the cereal, you DO get some other good stuff with it...
  • fknlardarse
    fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
    I know that iron is a tricky mineral to absorb in the body so if you are deficient its best to take a supplement.
    Not deficient as far as I know, aiming to stay healthy which is why I take a supplement now but wondered if its possible to get full daily intake without supplements?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
    They are not naturally high in iron they are supplemented, so it's the same as taking a pill. When my son was anaemic the pediatrician told us to give him cereals as they are fortified but I think that's terrible, kids cereals are full of sugar. There must be a natural way otherwise the whole population must be slightly iron deficient?
    Any foods fortified with iron is plant based and called nonheme which the body doesn't absorb as well as heme iron which is from animal based foods.........liver is a good source as is oysters and any meat product.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Yes, I eat red meat, turkey, eggs...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
    They are not naturally high in iron they are supplemented, so it's the same as taking a pill. When my son was anaemic the pediatrician told us to give him cereals as they are fortified but I think that's terrible, kids cereals are full of sugar. There must be a natural way otherwise the whole population must be slightly iron deficient?
    Any foods fortified with iron is plant based and called nonheme which the body doesn't absorb as well as heme iron which is from animal based foods.........liver is a good source as is oysters and any meat product.

    Re non heme iron - Vitamin C helps increase the absorption by a significant amount (up to 85%).
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Shreddies cereal has 50% of your daily in it and Alphabet cereal has 30%. I use them a LOT cause i can put them in baggies and take them in the car to munch on...or work or wherever.
    They are not naturally high in iron they are supplemented, so it's the same as taking a pill. When my son was anaemic the pediatrician told us to give him cereals as they are fortified but I think that's terrible, kids cereals are full of sugar. There must be a natural way otherwise the whole population must be slightly iron deficient?
    Any foods fortified with iron is plant based and called nonheme which the body doesn't absorb as well as heme iron which is from animal based foods.........liver is a good source as is oysters and any meat product.

    Re non heme iron - Vitamin C helps increase the absorption by a significant amount (up to 85%).
    Vinegars are good as well. Soy beans are a good source for plant based iron. Coffee, tea, wine and dairy have compounds that bind with iron making it more difficult to absorb.
  • Saunz5
    Saunz5 Posts: 165 Member
    I get my iron from food alone! I'm gluten-free (Celiac Disease), vegan, yeast free, and lots of food sensitivities, but I still manage to get all the vitamins I need! (I do need a little help in the vitamin D department, but that's cuz my state lacks sunshine all winter) :p I'll boost it with a vitamin and stop again now that it's summer! :o) Should be good to go! As far as foods go, I eat LOTS of spinach and sweet potatoes (with the skin)!
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    I get plenty of iron from food. I eat plenty of red meat and eggs.
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
    I eat plenty of beef and I can get a large amount of iron from that.
  • ess52
    ess52 Posts: 10
    If you need and iron supplement, try a liquid one (Spatone, for instance) and add it to fresh orange juice - it helps absorption.
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I was tracking my iron intake for a while here. I was always well over the MFP default, so I guess I am getting enough from my foods. I have not been taking a supplement for iron.
    I don't eat red meat either, as I'm a pescetarian.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Just want to add that I take an iron supplement 2 times a week (on Sunday and Wednesday, just to make it easy to remember). So, there is the option of that. This was what my doctor suggested for me (because of my history with severe anemia).

    There are also iron fortified cereals such as cream of wheat. But, that's another sort of supplement.

    Red meat, if you eat it. I wouldn't eat it everyday (personally).

    When I was pregnant I made muffins with iron rich ingredients such as whole wheat, lentils, molasses, raisins. I can't remember all the ingredients. But, it's a good option to create a recipe that combines a lot of good options. I was vegetarian before and during my pregnancies.

    Plus when eating non-heme iron take vitamin C. And do not combine it with dairy or calcium above 20% (give two hours between) because it binds to the iron and creates a paste that does not get properly digested.

    Tea and coffee inhibit iron absorption. Wait an hour or two between that and your iron. And a lot of antioxidants (other than vitamin C, which helps because of the acidity) also will clean away the non-heme iron when eaten at the same time.

    Here is a link: http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I try very hard to, but my energy levels tell me it's not working. In the past I have only been able to get sufficient iron using supplements and lately I've been faced with the reality that I'm gonna have to go buy some more.

    My efforts to get it from foods include red meats and sometimes veggies that contain it. I usually try to combine it with a vitamin C containing food for absorption. There are many such combo's online if you research it. Good luck OP, it's not easy to get a handle on with food alone but I think with enough calories it could be done. Wish you well. :flowerforyou:
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I seem to get enough from all the crap I eat. My multivitamin is the one without iron, and my iron levels used to be too high.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    2 cups of Cheerios = 90 grams of Iron. plus meats and other things, it is easy to get it from food.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I seem to get enough from all the crap I eat. My multivitamin is the one without iron, and my iron levels used to be too high.

    Some people struggle with anemia. Other people struggle with excess iron (which can cause cancer, so it's equally serious). Some people need to increase iron. Other people struggle to reduce it. A lot of processed foods are fortified with iron. All enriched white flours are fortified with iron to make up for the removal of iron.

    From my experience, severe anemia resulted in: When I tried to stand up out of my bed I would breath very heavy, and pass out (that was after childbirth/extreme blood loss). Less severe anemia will cause fatigue.
  • _rozamu
    _rozamu Posts: 119 Member
    I was lucky to be getting around 50% so i just started a multi vitamin and mineral supplement to help with iron and calcium. also I've been cold lately still and its been almost 80 degrees! Only time I'm warm is covered in clothes or sitting out in the sun. hoping this helps!
  • treagal
    treagal Posts: 264 Member
    when i wasn't taking care of myself (by that I mean eating garbage) i wasn't getting enough. I discovered that while I was donating blood. The I started eating a **** load of spinich and in general better and the next time I donated my numbers were fantastic.
  • fknlardarse
    fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
    I was tracking my iron intake for a while here. I was always well over the MFP default, so I guess I am getting enough from my foods. I have not been taking a supplement for iron.
    I don't eat red meat either, as I'm a pescetarian.
    Do you mind me asking where you get your iron from? Or roughly what you eat day to day as we're cutting back on red meat so this sounds similar to our diet. Thanks!
  • zinatara
    zinatara Posts: 76 Member
    A lot of times I see that foods I know have iron in them, don't have it registered in the MFP database. Like the oatmeal I use. I know my iron levels are good, so I don't worry much about this.
  • potatocar
    potatocar Posts: 250 Member
    Lentils! Super healthy and one cup of cooked lentils is 36% of (my) recommended daily intake of iron.
    And if you don't like the taste, you can just mix it into your salad or rice or whatever. Or add some pumpkin oil :)

    Oh yeah, and as somebody already pointed out, it's good to eat it with some form of vitamin C, it helps the absorption of iron. Maybe some lemon juice :)
  • fknlardarse
    fknlardarse Posts: 210 Member
    A lot of times I see that foods I know have iron in them, don't have it registered in the MFP database. Like the oatmeal I use. I know my iron levels are good, so I don't worry much about this.
    You're right, I have porridge every day and its logging as 0 iron content when in fact it does contain iron, probably happens with other foods too! Thanks!
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
    Don't take a multivitamin.

    They check my iron levels when I donate blood and I'm always at the upper end of the scale.

    I followed a vegetarian diet for a while and was interested after 3 months+ did it have any effect, nope, just as high.

    I never take the iron tablets the blood bank give me, just don't feel the need.

    Maybe I absorb it easily.

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