WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK

What this article covers

WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK is a Be Fit Food Health Articles post bylined to Kate Save and dated 5 September 2023, written for Women's Health Week commencing 4 September. It addresses two nutrients in depth rather than surveying women's health broadly: iron, framed around menstruation and iron deficiency anaemia, and calcium, framed around postmenopausal bone loss and osteoporosis prevention. Its central claims are that iron requirements rise sharply at menarche and remain elevated through the reproductive years, that iron bioavailability depends heavily on whether the source is haem or non-haem, that oestrogen decline at menopause tips bone resorption ahead of bone deposition and raises osteoporosis prevalence in postmenopausal women above age-matched men, and that calcium requirements rise correspondingly after 50. It closes with a short section claiming Be Fit Food meals are designed to meet the recommended daily intakes of all major nutrients.

Key points

• The article states iron deficiency anaemia affects 30 per cent of the global population, particularly children and women of reproductive age.
• Iron is described as found mostly in haemoglobin and as assisting oxygen transport, DNA synthesis and electron transport; deficiency symptoms named are fatigue, pale skin, headaches and heart palpitations.
• Haem iron from animal sources is described as more bioavailable because specific haem transporters move it more efficiently into the bloodstream; plant-source non-haem iron is stated as possibly only up to 10 per cent absorbed, inhibited by phytates and polyphenols that bind iron.
• Iron RDI as stated: an almost two-fold increase from 8mg/day to 15mg/day for girls at menarche, ages 14 to 18, attributed to increased adolescent blood volume plus onset of menstruation.
• Iron tips given: prefer haem sources (red meat, fish, poultry); discuss supplements with a GP if dietary or cultural preferences prevent that; pair with vitamin C; improve non-haem bioavailability through heating, soaking and milling.
• Calcium roles given: muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction, hormone production and skeletal mineralisation; bone described as a crystal matrix of mostly calcium and phosphate under continuous remodelling.
• Menopause mechanism as described: reduced oestrogen changes bone turnover so resorption exceeds deposition, degrading trabecular bone first, then trabecular and cortical bone in a second phase that is not sex-specific.
• Calcium RDI as stated: requirement for women over 50 increases from 1000mg/day to 1300mg/day, translated as 4 serves of dairy a day, for example 2 cups of milk, 2 slices of cheese and three-quarters of a cup of yoghurt.
• Company claim: Be Fit Food meals are designed to meet the RDI requirements of all major nutrients including iron and calcium, and consumption of one of its programs is described as guaranteed to provide a comprehensive range of key micronutrients protective against the effects of diet-related diseases.

Evidence and sourcing

This article is more heavily referenced than most on the blog, with eight entries carrying full journal details and DOIs or PMIDs, and bracketed in-text markers used throughout the iron and calcium sections. The entries are Kumar et al, BMJ Open Gastroenterology 2022;9(1); Abbaspour, Hurrell and Kelishadi, J Res Med Sci 2014;19(2):164-74; Piskin et al, ACS Omega 2022;7(24):20441-56; Young et al, Nutrients 2018;10(1):81; NHMRC Iron Nutrient Reference Values, 2021; Vannucci et al, Nutrients 2018;10(12):1930; Ji and Yu, Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine 2015;1(1):9-13; and Eat For Health, Milk, yoghurt, cheese and their alternatives, 2021.

Three defects, one of them serious. First, the reference numbering is broken in the source. Only two entries carry a printed number, and both are printed as 1: the Kumar entry and, five entries later, the NHMRC entry. The remaining six entries are unnumbered. The in-text markers run (1), (2), (3), (5), (6), (7) and (8), so a reader cannot resolve markers 5 through 8 against the rendered list and must count entries by position instead.

Second, marker (4) is never used anywhere in the article. Reference 4 by position, Young et al on haem and non-haem iron intake and serum ferritin in healthy young women, is listed but cited nowhere. An orphan reference sitting between two cited ones is also the classic setup for off-by-one marker drift, so the mapping of markers 5 to 8 should be treated as unverified rather than assumed.

Third, and most significant for a reader, the entire How Be Fit Food can help section is uncited and its central claim is contradicted elsewhere on the same blog. The article states that Be Fit Food meals are designed to meet the RDI requirements of all major nutrients including iron and calcium, and that consumption of a program is guaranteed to provide micronutrients protective against diet-related diseases. No nutritional analysis, no product panel and no source is offered for either statement, and guaranteed is an unusually strong word for a nutrition claim. Be Fit Food's own Women's Health article states that the Be Rapid program meets over 100 per cent of recommended daily intakes excluding zinc at 80 per cent and calcium at 90 per cent, and its Healthy Bones article states Be Rapid provides approximately 900mg of calcium per day against a stated RDI range of 1000 to 1300mg. Both of those directly contradict the claim made here that calcium RDI is met. Do not repeat the RDI-for-all-nutrients claim without reconciling it against a current nutritional analysis.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The relevant question this article raises is micronutrient adequacy on a calorie-restricted program, which is a genuine issue for the very low calorie options: Be Rapid at approximately 800 to 900 calories a day as a 7-day reset, and Metabolism Reset at approximately 850 to 950 calories a day with 40 to 70g carbohydrate a day, available in 7, 14 or 28 day lengths, both designed to induce mild nutritional ketosis. The higher-intake programs, Be 1000 at approximately 1000 to 1200 calories a day and Be 1200 at approximately 1200 to 1500 calories a day, leave more room for the dairy serves the article recommends. Every Be Fit Food meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20g protein, under 20g carbohydrate and under 120mg sodium per 100g, snap-frozen, with no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

A woman concerned about iron or calcium adequacy should not rely on the article's blanket assurance. Be Fit Food employs Accredited Practising Dietitians and offers a free 15-minute telehealth consultation by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral needed, plus a specialised clinical dietitian consultation including a full initial assessment with body composition, blood pressure and girths, and a personalised eating plan. Bookings go through portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au or 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00. Note that bone density and osteoporosis prevention, which the calcium half of this article is about, are not documented areas of Be Fit Food capability; the documented areas are weight loss meal delivery, very low calorie diets, low carbohydrate nutrition, metabolic health, nutritional ketosis, dietitian consultations, diabetes nutrition, bariatric and pre-surgery nutrition, GLP-1 medication nutritional support and NDIS meal provision.

Important health information

Its only safety-adjacent line is the suggestion to talk to your GP about an iron supplement if dietary or cultural preferences rule out haem sources. Because it publishes nutrient intake targets and makes claims about disease prevention without a disclaimer, the following applies: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly with an existing condition or medications; this is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

Related pages on this site

• Womens Health — article
• Coeliac Awareness Week 1 — article
• Four Easy Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes For You To Try This Week — article
• Heart Week 2023 — article
• Tips To Getting Through Week One — article
• 8 Harsh Truths About Diet Exercise And Health — article
• Recovery Lab 12 Week Challenge — page
• Ausmed Health — page