Very low iron consumption...

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FattyBigBottom
FattyBigBottom Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone, so I started the app 6 days ago and I am really shocked at my low iron and calcium consumption! I never had a problem with anaemia and feel fine. I do not eat red meat (for ethical reasons) so guess this is the cause of the low iron. Apart from taking supplements (I am reluctant to take iron as it really upset my stomach) has anyone any ideas of how to increase my iron and also calcium consumption please. I use almond milk as a healthy choice but do eat dairy and also fish. Thanks

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  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,109 Member
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    Many food database entries are lacking micronutrient data, so you might be consuming more micronutrients than you think. If your bloodwork is fine and you feel fine, I wouldn't worry too much.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,426 Member
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    The food entries you’ll find on MFP have been crowd sourced, ie entered by members. Some are outright incorrect, and many people enter the biggies (fat, carbs, protein) and ignore the rest.

    So it may appear that something is out of kilter when, really, it’s not. It’s just a lack of detailed data.

    If you’re worried about iron or calcium, pull up a list of good sources, and if you’re eating a few of them regularly, you’re probably fine. You can always ask your doc to test them if you’re concerned.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    FattyBigBottom wrote: »
    Hi everyone, so I started the app 6 days ago and I am really shocked at my low iron and calcium consumption! I never had a problem with anaemia and feel fine. I do not eat red meat (for ethical reasons) so guess this is the cause of the low iron. Apart from taking supplements (I am reluctant to take iron as it really upset my stomach) has anyone any ideas of how to increase my iron and also calcium consumption please. I use almond milk as a healthy choice but do eat dairy and also fish. Thanks

    The MFP database is largely crowd sourced and the nutritional information is taken from food labels. In many cases, this information is missing from labels and thus missing in the entry, and in other cases, a user may just put in the calories and macro-nutrients but not bother with micro-nutrients. I definitely wouldn't rely on MFP for tracking vitamins and minerals and such.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,055 Member
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    Definitely do not supplement iron without first having blood tests to see whether you're deficient.

    Agree with others that MFP will understate intake. People entering things in the database in good faith may be entering from product labels that don't include iron or calcium, even though the foods contain some, too. It isn't all about carelessness.

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