Why is iron shown as a percentage?

AlphaGirlNo1
AlphaGirlNo1 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
I need 8 grams of iron per day. I can't make that translate from x% as shown. Can I change it to grams? If not - what does the percentage mean - percent of what?
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Answers

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,934 Member
    edited January 11
    Percentage of the amount that USA food labeling laws specify as 100% daily value (DV).

    This web page, if you scroll down, has a list of all the reference values. 100% iron is 18mg.

    https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels

    I hope you don't actually want 8g of iron. That might even be toxic? I'm going to assume you mean 8mg.

    I'm not sure why you need as little as 8mg either, but if you want that to be your goal, change your goal in MFP from 100% to about 44-45%. It's 8 divided by 18, which is a repeating decimal 44.4444%. MFP will only accept a whole-number percent, so pick 44% (7.92g) or 45% (8.1g) as you wish.

    If you really mean 8g, as I hope you don't, that would be 8000 divided by 18, or a repeating decimal 44444.4444%. I don't know whether MFP would let you enter in a goal that high, but you could try it. I'd strongly suggest that you check correctness of grams vs. milligrams you were recommended, though.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,111 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Percentage of the amount that USA food labeling laws specify as 100% daily value (DV).

    I'm not sure why you need as little as 8mg either, but if you want that to be your goal, change your goal in MFP from 100% to about 44-45%. It's 8 divided by 18, which is a repeating decimal 44.4444%. MFP will only accept a whole-number percent, so pick 44% (7.92g) or 45% (8.1g) as you wish.

    8 mg is the RDA for adult men and post-menopausal women (or women post 50 years, which I assume is meant as a default for post-menopausal women, possibly because the people making these recommendations think women are too stupid to know if they're post-menopausal but can figure out how old they are).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,934 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Percentage of the amount that USA food labeling laws specify as 100% daily value (DV).

    I'm not sure why you need as little as 8mg either, but if you want that to be your goal, change your goal in MFP from 100% to about 44-45%. It's 8 divided by 18, which is a repeating decimal 44.4444%. MFP will only accept a whole-number percent, so pick 44% (7.92g) or 45% (8.1g) as you wish.

    8 mg is the RDA for adult men and post-menopausal women (or women post 50 years, which I assume is meant as a default for post-menopausal women, possibly because the people making these recommendations think women are too stupid to know if they're post-menopausal but can figure out how old they are).

    Thanks for clarifying that, @lynn_glenmont!

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