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

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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
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    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: 267 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 10,018 Member
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    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
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    Yes, I eat red meat, turkey, eggs...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    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: 10,018 Member
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    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
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    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
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    I get plenty of iron from food. I eat plenty of red meat and eggs.
  • stargazer008
    stargazer008 Posts: 531
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    I eat plenty of beef and I can get a large amount of iron from that.
  • ess52
    ess52 Posts: 10
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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:

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