Is Iron In Potatoes Too High?

[welshwing]

5-9% iron in 1 potato, I eat a lot of potatoes. Is this too much iron? Most of the iron is in the skin but the potato itself has iron...

Ray Peat said iron is bad. But he also said 6 pounds mashed potatoes (2400 calories) is okay to survive off for a while.

 

[Birdie]

Well, maybe that's your answer.

 

[DaveFoster]

@Birdie

 

[welshwing]

But I thought that having more copper and less estrogen help reduce excess iron you'd otherwise absorb. And potatos have 4:1 copper to iron ratio according to nutrition data's site

 

[welshwing]

Maybe this should be moved to the 'Potato' section instead of 'Diet'

 

[Peater Piper]

Have you had your iron checked? I was concerned about mine, considering I eat quite a bit of red meat, yet I'm at the bottom of the normal range. I've no doubt high iron levels can be problematic, but I'm not sure everyone needs to be going to great pains to avoid it if they're not storing it excessively.

I can't give you a specific answer regarding potatoes, but I think animal sources of iron are a greater concern. Heme iron has greater absorption, plus it increases absorption of nonheme iron (so if you eat your potatoes with some beef, you're absorbing more of the iron in the potato than you otherwise would have). Also, vitamin c can increase absorption of nonheme iron. Coffee/tea and dairy/calcium decrease absorption.

 

[Birdie]

I agree. My iron was already low. Then, with all the iron blocking procedures, it went too low.
Good review of heme, non heme iron Peater Piper.

 

[Lokzo]

How do you know you have G6PD deficiency? I am carrier for one of the alleles, based off my 23andme.

Curious to know what symptoms you were experiencing...!

 

[dbh25]

Get an iron panel. You might be too low now.