Does anyone get 100% of their iron intake from food alone?
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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.0
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2 cups of Cheerios = 90 grams of Iron. plus meats and other things, it is easy to get it from food.0
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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.0 -
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!0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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 juice0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
Unless you have a TESTED iron deficiency you should not supplement in any way - the results of too much iron, hemochromatosis, etc. can be much worse than a light deficiency. Hypothalamic damage by too much iron is generally irreversible.
Before taking supplements or increasing vitamin C intake significantly, get tested.0 -
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.
Re non heme iron - Vitamin C helps increase the absorption by a significant amount (up to 85%).
Do you happen to have a source handy? I remember reading somewhere that non-heme iron absorption is around 2-3% and with vitamin C it gets up to 10-15%. A significant increase (3-5 times up!) but still the overall absorption is very low. Unfortunately I can't find that article now (so I hope I don't remember the numbers wrong). But this one seems to say something similar
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAQ804.pdf
Personally I have low iron levels (not to the point of anaemia but close) and was advised by my doctor to try to fix that with nutrition. I now aim at 120% of iron daily and usually manage to do it. I get 40% from my cereals, another 40% from iron-enhanced bars, and the rest is easier to meet with my everyday food.
Seafood and especially clams are a fantastic source. Spices also contribute significantly (1tsp of thyme gives 7%).
Edited for typos and to add that of course fortified cereals & bars are another way of supplementation. It's very difficult otherwise.0 -
dark leafy greens. lots and lots of them. it is possible if you can stomach it.0
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I understand your son as a history of anaemia but do you personally have a reason to be concerned? The vast majority of people have sufficient dietary iron unless they have underlying medical issues. Eat a balanced diet and don't stress it0
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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.
This. As far as I'm aware, food labels aren't required to display iron and lots of them don't. In the product nutrition it will usually say NA, but in your overview it will just appear that you aren't getting the amount that you actually are.0 -
I was so worried about my iron and calcium intake after reading this topic. I looked up foods that I can eat but it seems like I would have to eat a lot of food, which means lots more calories, just to reach 100%. I also found the cereal called Total and that has 100% of calcium and iron and its 100cal per 3/4 cup. that means i could easily fit it within my calorie budget.0
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