calcium measurement

quiltlady77
quiltlady77 Posts: 93 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
My calcium goal according to MFP is 100 g which I take to mean grams. If my math is correct, this is 100,000 milligrams. Most food is labeled in milligrams. Why does MFP measure calcium in grams?

Replies

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    edited November 2016
    It doesn't have a unit of measurement for calcium. It's 100% rda. I'm not sure what that is in mg.

    Eta I found this via google. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calcium-supplements/art-20047097

    Mg depends on where MFP got its calcium goal. Anyway, yeah, it's percent, not grams or milligrams.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited November 2016
    The MFP default goal is listed as 100 %DV, not grams. That's 100% of the Daily Value recommended by the US government as shown on US food labels. It looks like the actual amount is between 1000 mg and 1300 mg for adults.

    Calcium Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet

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  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,106 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    The MFP default goal is listed as 100 %DV, not grams. That's 100% of the Daily Value recommended by the US government as shown on US food labels. It looks like the actual amount is between 1000 mg and 1300 mg for adults.

    The recommended amount varies depending on gender, age, and possibly pregnancy or lactation status, but the 100% referred to on the US food labels is 100% of 1000 mg. So if your age, gender, etc., indicates you should be getting more than 1000 mg of calcium, 100% would not be enough for you.
  • quiltlady77
    quiltlady77 Posts: 93 Member
    Under each nutrient at the bottom of the page it lists the # then underneath it says G (small g), so what is that supposed to mean? With all the others, grams makes sense but not so for calcium. Yesterday my # or amount said 58 so according to your comments, that should mean I hit 58% of my daily requirement?
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    edited November 2016
    Yes. Mfp's setup mimics US nutrition labels. If you are on the app, look at the right-hand column. Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Iron are listed as percents.

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  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited November 2016
    I just went and added Calcium so that I could look at it in the diary on the website.

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    It does have g as the unit but ignore that. The actual unit for the number shown there is % DV.

    MFP didn't used to show the units for each nutrient in the website diary but they started to do that maybe a few months ago. I suppose that whoever typed in the unit for each nutrient just used the wrong unit inadvertently for Calcium.

    I was curious so I added all 4 of the nutrients that are supposed to be % DV to my diary and they are all currently labeled as g.

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    I would never have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out because I don't track those in my main diary on the website.

    Even though they are labeled as g on the website food diary, the numbers shown for Vitamin A and Vitamin C and Calcium and Iron are all % DV.
  • quiltlady77
    quiltlady77 Posts: 93 Member
    Thanks Seska! I know how to read the food labels on pkgs of food and knew about the percent of daily requirements but the g threw me. The only reason I had noticed is that my dr and I were discussing how much calcium I should have and whether I was getting enough from my food so I changed my choices to be shown on MFP from fiber to calcium so that I could see exactly how much calcium I was eating and then how many calcium supplements I might need if any.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    I just went and added Calcium so that I could look at it in the diary on the website.

    vbpfex6qraxe.jpg

    It does have g as the unit but ignore that. The actual unit for the number shown there is % DV.

    MFP didn't used to show the units for each nutrient in the website diary but they started to do that maybe a few months ago. I suppose that whoever typed in the unit for each nutrient just used the wrong unit inadvertently for Calcium.

    I was curious so I added all 4 of the nutrients that are supposed to be % DV to my diary and they are all currently labeled as g.

    496ycjacsix3.jpg

    I would never have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out because I don't track those in my main diary on the website.

    Even though they are labeled as g on the website food diary, the numbers shown for Vitamin A and Vitamin C and Calcium and Iron are all % DV.

    Thanks for posting that. I never even noticed it on the website.
  • quiltlady77
    quiltlady77 Posts: 93 Member
    Glad I asked! In your sample above, where it shows sodium, I see that it is in mg which would be correct. I guess MFP is not very consistent!
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    Quiltlady70 wrote: »
    Glad I asked! In your sample above, where it shows sodium, I see that it is in mg which would be correct. I guess MFP is not very consistent!

    They just follow the government guidelines for food labeling...except when they goof and label the column wrong, of course.
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