Iron, Potassium, Vitamin A/C Reports

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Kimegatron
Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

The reports that we have to utilize here, the horizontal bar on them, is that the healthy recommended MINIMUM? If yes, I think I'm in trouble, and will have to severely supplement in my diet. Thanks!
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Hi!

    The reports that we have to utilize here, the horizontal bar on them, is that the healthy recommended MINIMUM? If yes, I think I'm in trouble, and will have to severely supplement in my diet. Thanks!

    Ignore them, most foods don't have the micronutrients labeled properly so the totals are generally wrong
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    catscats222 wrote: »
    i take a dialy multi-vitamin
    that way, even if there is one day i do not eat perfectly, i know i'm ok
    cost about .04 cents a day
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/One-Daily-Women-s-Multivitamin-Multimineral-Supplement/10324635

    potassium: this site cannot tell all the potassium you may be eating
    ex: food labels do NOT have to state potassium content, therefore, potassium will NOT show up on here

    Actually, everyone is okay with one day of not eating perfectly, even if they skip the multi-vitamin. Deficiencies develop over time, not over a day. While supplementing a specific vitamin or mineral may be appropriate for individuals, multi-vitamins aren't associated with better health. Experts have concluded that they are, at best, ineffective and that they may actually cause harm.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/experts-decisive-against-multivitamins-stop-wasting-money/282440/
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    Thank you for your responses! The thing is that I have never supplemented, despite my Mother working at an amazing company that specializes in chelating certain minerals and sends them out to different companies to use their labels. I don't know the actualities of what they do, as it's over my head. I just know that you can find their logo on the back of some mineral supplements with GNC and other vitamin distributing stores. Whatever, still over my head. I'm going to get blood work done once I find a physician in my network that looks good. In the mean time, I have been a very very bad vegetarian, and have always known but never wanted numbers in front of me. Seeing the reports have been worrisome, but good to know they're not accurate. I'm sure I'm still sucky at everything, especially iron and zinc, which zinc isn't even on here. This just had me freaked out because I've noticed an increase of normal hair fall out the last month or 2, sleepy all the time despite good rest, among other things. I have some chelated iron and some zinc, but its years old and expired :/ I have been in denial of my health for a long time.
  • Krylostikov
    Krylostikov Posts: 1 Member
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    Also, those percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so let's say you're goal is 1,500 you only need to hit 75% of the goal on MFP
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
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    If you have worries, it's best to speak to your doctor and get tested. I am tested regularly as my dietary restrictions make it logical. The test is covered under my insurance as part of my annual/semi-annual physical and I'm generally good without supplementing. If you are found to be deficient, your doctor will have some great advice on how to correct this or will refer you to a dietician for assistance.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    catscats222 wrote: »
    i take a dialy multi-vitamin
    that way, even if there is one day i do not eat perfectly, i know i'm ok
    cost about .04 cents a day
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/One-Daily-Women-s-Multivitamin-Multimineral-Supplement/10324635

    potassium: this site cannot tell all the potassium you may be eating
    ex: food labels do NOT have to state potassium content, therefore, potassium will NOT show up on here

    Actually, everyone is okay with one day of not eating perfectly, even if they skip the multi-vitamin. Deficiencies develop over time, not over a day. While supplementing a specific vitamin or mineral may be appropriate for individuals, multi-vitamins aren't associated with better health. Experts have concluded that they are, at best, ineffective and that they may actually cause harm.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/experts-decisive-against-multivitamins-stop-wasting-money/282440/

    As usual, the article fails to mention that the Vitamin E used in the prostate study was the cheap synthetic form, rac-alpha-tocopheryl, which doesn't have the same bioavailability of d-alpha-tocopherol and depletes gamma tocopherol as well.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    catscats222 wrote: »
    i take a dialy multi-vitamin
    that way, even if there is one day i do not eat perfectly, i know i'm ok
    cost about .04 cents a day
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/One-Daily-Women-s-Multivitamin-Multimineral-Supplement/10324635

    potassium: this site cannot tell all the potassium you may be eating
    ex: food labels do NOT have to state potassium content, therefore, potassium will NOT show up on here

    Actually, everyone is okay with one day of not eating perfectly, even if they skip the multi-vitamin. Deficiencies develop over time, not over a day. While supplementing a specific vitamin or mineral may be appropriate for individuals, multi-vitamins aren't associated with better health. Experts have concluded that they are, at best, ineffective and that they may actually cause harm.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/experts-decisive-against-multivitamins-stop-wasting-money/282440/

    As usual, the article fails to mention that the Vitamin E used in the prostate study was the cheap synthetic form, rac-alpha-tocopheryl, which doesn't have the same bioavailability of d-alpha-tocopherol and depletes gamma tocopherol as well.

    I read this and my head converted it to "which doesn't have the same bioavailability of biddy-biddy-beep, badonkadonk-bomp

    :)
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    Thanks! I have been meaning to make my daughter's pediatrician my primary care physician, but he has a 3 month wait time for new patients. He's an internist, and an amazing doctor! I just have been putting it off, but I guess I've waited this long, what is another 3 months to snag him. At least in 3 months, I will know if I'm good or not. I had blood work down 11 years ago and was okay then, but I don't know so much about now.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    Options
    vinegar_husbands wrote: »
    Krylostikov wrote: »
    Also, those percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so let's say you're goal is 1,500 you only need to hit 75% of the goal on MFP

    Vitamin requirements don't change based on calories.

    I always figured it was the same for everyone via age :/ Isn't there a certain percentage one needs to hit? I've been so bad about this, and if it wasn't for my kid, I would probably go through life not ever wanting to know how royally I could be screwing myself. I have to also get tested for something my mom has, where she cannot absorb iron correctly, so she HAS to supplement.
  • irishdancer214
    irishdancer214 Posts: 108 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Thank you for your responses! The thing is that I have never supplemented, despite my Mother working at an amazing company that specializes in chelating certain minerals and sends them out to different companies to use their labels. I don't know the actualities of what they do, as it's over my head. I just know that you can find their logo on the back of some mineral supplements with GNC and other vitamin distributing stores. Whatever, still over my head. I'm going to get blood work done once I find a physician in my network that looks good. In the mean time, I have been a very very bad vegetarian, and have always known but never wanted numbers in front of me. Seeing the reports have been worrisome, but good to know they're not accurate. I'm sure I'm still sucky at everything, especially iron and zinc, which zinc isn't even on here. This just had me freaked out because I've noticed an increase of normal hair fall out the last month or 2, sleepy all the time despite good rest, among other things. I have some chelated iron and some zinc, but its years old and expired :/ I have been in denial of my health for a long time.

    Try supplementing with a little iron...always talk to your doctor, but I've found this helps when I can feel that I'm low. Super super low iron for me makes me foggy and exhausted, despite caffeine
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    The company my Mom works for does a great job at chelating their iron, so I am going to see if I can snag some from her. And I am exhausted all of the time. Even if I sleep in, or take a 20min nap. Some days I'm thinking, "I better not be pregnant again," haha
  • FredKing1
    FredKing1 Posts: 98 Member
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    Where do I find the micronutrient reports? There are 13 listed on my goals page, but there are only 6 columns on my food page.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    catscats222 wrote: »
    i take a dialy multi-vitamin
    that way, even if there is one day i do not eat perfectly, i know i'm ok
    cost about .04 cents a day
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/One-Daily-Women-s-Multivitamin-Multimineral-Supplement/10324635

    potassium: this site cannot tell all the potassium you may be eating
    ex: food labels do NOT have to state potassium content, therefore, potassium will NOT show up on here

    Actually, everyone is okay with one day of not eating perfectly, even if they skip the multi-vitamin. Deficiencies develop over time, not over a day. While supplementing a specific vitamin or mineral may be appropriate for individuals, multi-vitamins aren't associated with better health. Experts have concluded that they are, at best, ineffective and that they may actually cause harm.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/experts-decisive-against-multivitamins-stop-wasting-money/282440/

    As usual, the article fails to mention that the Vitamin E used in the prostate study was the cheap synthetic form, rac-alpha-tocopheryl, which doesn't have the same bioavailability of d-alpha-tocopherol and depletes gamma tocopherol as well.

    Are there studies showing better outcomes when people take a multi-vitamin with a different form of vitamin E?
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    You shouldn't supplement with iron unless you are iron deficient.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    A lot of people think those numbers are minimums, but they aren't. They're numbers that would cover the average person adequately, not minimally.

    Remember that labels are sometimes entered wrong, so if you aren't entering the stuff yourself, who knows if it's even right. Also, labels don't always include things like potassium, so even if you enter your own stuff, you may be getting more than the MFP says.

    You have to track your micros and use USDA entries if you really, really want to know what you're eating. The USDA database doesn't have all the processed/prepared foods, though.

    If someone didn't already say it, someone will say that you're probably hitting your micros if you hit your macros. You might be, but if you're like most of us, you aren't. People who think that are probably not tracking their micros. Tracking micros for someone who wasn't seriously interested in doing it would be too big a pain in the *kitten*, though. Unless you really, really want to know, don't bother.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    singingflutelady wrote: »
    You shouldn't supplement with iron unless you are iron deficient.

    I don't eat meat at all, and I don't eat enough iron nutrient foods to make up for it at all.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    You shouldn't supplement with iron unless you are iron deficient.

    I don't eat meat at all, and I don't eat enough iron nutrient foods to make up for it at all.

    Still, better to have a simple blood test for deficiencies. This will also give you a benchmark. I tried four different forms of iron supplements before I found one that got my levels and energy up. Previously, I'd thought I was covered because I was supplementing, and when my housemate complained about all the hair I was shedding, it occurred to me that I was fatigued as well, put two and two together, got tested, and sure enough I was anemic again.

    Might as well get tested for B and D deficiencies while you are at it.

    http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/guide-to-essential-nutrients/common-nutrient-deficiencies/
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    You shouldn't supplement with iron unless you are iron deficient.

    I don't eat meat at all, and I don't eat enough iron nutrient foods to make up for it at all.

    But could you tweak your diet? I hit 95-100% of my iron every day and I am vegetarian as well.

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