Iron supplements = 100s of calories??

DeviatedNorm

I was considering going above and beyond and logging the supplements I take, one of which is iron.

I even found the exact pill I take, Nature's Way Iron 18mg -- listed at 110 calories??!

All the iron supplements I've found seem to be really high calorie:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/nature-made-iron-65-mg-145929886
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/8422632
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-iron-iron-18-mg-chleated-26789188
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/3528537
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-alive-max-iron-223978762
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/boots-iron-tablet-14mg-40838930

The lowest I have found so far is 70 calories. There's a handful of 0 calorie options listed under the generic "Iron Tablet", but anything with a brand name suddenly jumps to 100-600 calories in a single serving.


Is iron crazy calorie dense? Or are all of these nutrition listings that far off base?

TeaBea

DeviatedNorm wrote: »

I was considering going above and beyond and logging the supplements I take, one of which is iron.

I even found the exact pill I take, Nature's Way Iron 18mg -- listed at 110 calories??!

All the iron supplements I've found seem to be really high calorie:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/nature-made-iron-65-mg-145929886
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/8422632
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-iron-iron-18-mg-chleated-26789188
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/3528537
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-alive-max-iron-223978762
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/boots-iron-tablet-14mg-40838930

The lowest I have found so far is 70 calories. There's a handful of 0 calorie options listed under the generic "Iron Tablet", but anything with a brand name suddenly jumps to 100-600 calories in a single serving.


Is iron crazy calorie dense? Or are all of these nutrition listings that far off base?

These look way off base to me. My breakfast cereal (high) iron vs. (low) iron are similar in calories.

Dark leafy greens are high in iron.....yet spinach and kale are low calorie.

Nature Made brand iron is listed as zero (MFP & Calorie Count).

amyk0202

What does it say on your bottle? Maybe there's a glitch somewhere, because most of the links are showing 0 calories when I clicked on them. I take Vitron-C iron plus vitamin C & it is 0 calorie according to the bottle--65mg iron, 125 mg vitamin C.

cwolfman13

DeviatedNorm wrote: »

I was considering going above and beyond and logging the supplements I take, one of which is iron.

I even found the exact pill I take, Nature's Way Iron 18mg -- listed at 110 calories??!

All the iron supplements I've found seem to be really high calorie:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/nature-made-iron-65-mg-145929886
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/8422632
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-iron-iron-18-mg-chleated-26789188
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/3528537
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/natures-way-alive-max-iron-223978762
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/boots-iron-tablet-14mg-40838930

The lowest I have found so far is 70 calories. There's a handful of 0 calorie options listed under the generic "Iron Tablet", but anything with a brand name suddenly jumps to 100-600 calories in a single serving.


Is iron crazy calorie dense? Or are all of these nutrition listings that far off base?

I just looked at these and the only one that shows calories is the max iron and it's 15 calories per capsule...everything else listed zero calories. If they have calories, they have to show them on the label of whatever you're taking...if they aren't listed on the label there aren't any calories.

If you come across something that looks fishy in the data base you have to remember that most entries are user made and people make all kinds of errors when they enter foods, etc. Go by your label.

The_Enginerd

Iron in and of itself doesn't have calories. It's a micronutrient, used in small amounts by the body, albeit vital.

The database is mostly made up of user submitted entries, which can be (and in this case, most certainly appear to be) incorrect.

Looking at that particular supplement, the first ingredient is ferrous sulphate (the iron supplement), followed by cellulose gel (indigestible fiber with zero calories, probably used as a bulking agent to create the pill), and dibasic calcium phosphate (ingredient used to create tablets, zero calories). Nothing in there that is a carbohydrate or would contribute to calories.

kshama2001

My iron supplement has no calories.

lynn_glenmont

DeviatedNorm wrote: »

Is iron crazy calorie dense? Or are all of these nutrition listings that far off base?

Iron is a metal. It has no calories.
The other ingredients in the capsule or tablet, which are there for various reasons related to facilitating transport, storage, swallowing, dissolution, etc. of the product, could contain some calories, but generally don't amount to much. A chewable or gummy might have some sweeteners in it, but not likely 110 calories. The only micronutrient supplements I can remember seeing that topped 50 calories a dose were fish oil capsules.

FitPhillygirl

I eat Cheerios everyday. That's my 100 cal iron supplement.

rsleighty

Or Frosted Mini Wheats. 190 calories, sweet and tasty and 90% iron.

Blueberrysoupsoup

rsleighty wrote: »

Or Frosted qMini Wheats. 190 calories, sweet and tasty and 90% iron.

DeviatedNorm

amyk0202 wrote: »

What does it say on your bottle? Maybe there's a glitch somewhere, because most of the links are showing 0 calories when I clicked on them. I take Vitron-C iron plus vitamin C & it is 0 calorie according to the bottle--65mg iron, 125 mg vitamin C.

Unfortunately it doesn't say anything on the bottle

DeviatedNorm

The_Enginerd wrote: »

Iron in and of itself doesn't have calories. It's a micronutrient, used in small amounts by the body, albeit vital.

The database is mostly made up of user submitted entries, which can be (and in this case, most certainly appear to be) incorrect.

Looking at that particular supplement, the first ingredient is ferrous sulphate (the iron supplement), followed by cellulose gel (indigestible fiber with zero calories, probably used as a bulking agent to create the pill), and dibasic calcium phosphate (ingredient used to create tablets, zero calories). Nothing in there that is a carbohydrate or would contribute to calories.

This is probably the absolutely best response I could have asked for. Thanks @The_Enginerd!

jgnatca

Two google clicks got me the information on your iron supplement.


In this case no information is good news. There is nothing calorific in any of the additives and fillers. Virtually zero calories.