Low Iron

Terri26

hi everyone,

hoping someone here can help me. short story is last time I went in to donate blood I was told my iron is very low. it was nearly always low but this time apparently nearly dangerously low

had to go to the doctor who told me to take galfer. the problem is taking it makes me feel really ill, makes me lurch/feel like I need to vomit. I tried the liquid form too and although it is not as bad I still feel really icky taking it. The doctor told me that galfer is the best and spatone is not that good (tried this a few years ago much easier to take but forgot to take it most days)

has anyone got any advise what to take/eat. not a fan of spinach and hate tofu!!

thanks in advance xx

-lala-

Terri26 wrote: »

hi everyone,


has anyone got any advise what to take/eat. not a fan of spinach and hate tofu!!

Well tofu is an excellent source of iron, as are green leafy vegetables. Shouldn't you be putting your health before your personal preferences?

Other good sources of iron include kidney beans (and many other kinds of beans) and ehh... something else I was about to say but have now forgotten, I'll post again later if I think of it!

Terri26

I guess I should but on that logic eating red meat would help my health like the doctor advised! can't stand tofu used to eat/tolerate spinach but had a horrible expience in Istanbul. I assume it was cooked with fish as it smelt/ tasted horribly of fish. anytime I have had it since could not stomach it.

I like kidney beans though so that's good to know so thanks fot that. will try to incorporate more of it into my diet.

thanks for the tips!!!

taram

I always start gagging when I eat spinach, but had homemade creamed spinach one day, was delicious, would eat a plate of it by itself! Maybe try it in pasta parcels or something?

Cereal is usually an easy option, most have around 18% of your reccomended daily allowance, have a big glass of juice with it and you'll absorb it better too.

Not sure if you're vegan or veggie, but eggs are a good option too.

In terms of supplements maybe try a slightly less strong supplement, used to take a Boots iron and vitamin C supplement, was a tiny tastless pill, probably not as easily absorbed as galfer, but was a high RDA and easy to take.

biZrb

On the Vegitarian Soceity site they have good info on iron, including a daily eating plan to get your RDA
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html

I know you don't like Tofu (I hated it the first few times I tried it, but then I grew to like it) but what about trying soya beans? They are a good source of iron, Birds Eye do packets of them that are in most supermarkets, they taste really nice.

sweet-rasmus

oh, if you are not a fan of spinach maybe it depends how you prepare it. I am personally a huge fan you can buy it frozen and cook that with very little water added (sometimes none) to go with your meal. Baby spinach leaves are delicious in a salad, or just on the side of your plate with your meal. The baby leaves are more expensive than the big ones, but they don't require preparation (you have to remove the stalks from the big ones) and they often come pre-washed. Otherwise you can put the effort in with the big leaves and steam them, but I find it more of an effort to eat them. Anyway, I don't think spinach is all that high in iron.

Breakfast cereals are fortified in iron, so a nice bowl of them in the morning goes a long way

Also from http://www.myfit.ca/archives/viewanarticle.asp?table=nutrition&ID=35&subject=Vegan%2B/%2BVegetarians%2BPart%2B1:

To increase your iron absorption:

Eat foods rich in Vitamin C (strawberries, oranges ,broccoli) with each meal
Use iron cookware
Avoid consumption of calcium supplementation, dairy products, caffeinated
beverages at the same time.

The vitamin C I remember hearing about now after reading. It helps with Iron adsorption.

Tar.Aldarion

from the sticky:

Iron rich foods include dried fruits(weight for weight dried apricots contain
four times more iron than lamb does)nuts(especially brazils),wholegrains,dried peas,
beans and lentils,leafy green vegetables,molasses and egg yokes.Although iron may be absorbed
more easily through meat,the plus for vegetarians is that they eat foods which contain good
amounts of vitamin C,not contained in meat,and this boosts their absorbtion of iron.


Also, spinach, YUM.

Aoifums

According to my Home Ec book, mushrooms are high in iron. So a nice benefit if you like mushrooms

Mentalmiss

Nettles are great for iron especially at this time of year.
It was a tradition in the Irish countryside to make nettle soup on the first day of may because that is when they are at their best for iron.
I have added some to my smoothie today.

Terri26

thanks for all the suggestions - it has been a great help. have been feeling really tired and weak lately so am sure they will all make a difference!!

Fad

Doesnt Thyme have quite a high Iron content?

I think.

rantyface

Spinach is DELICIOUS if you cook it in ricotta with pepper and salt, or coconut milk and spices for a green curry sauce.

It's horrible boiled, but give it a chance. I eat it nearly every day now!

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

A bowl of porridge has about 40% of your RDA if memory serves. So a bowl of that for brekkie with a glass of OJ and you should be well on your way

laurencmc

Parsley is also very high in iron.
Or what about some nice steamed brocolli?

Cianos

You could try taking Spirulina, it's good for a bunch of stuff including iron. You can get it in all health shops.

Sapsorrow

Without a doubt go on Chlorella, it's a blue-green micro algae grown in south america that you can buy as tablets or powder in health food shops.
Per 100g it's 55% protein, has 55,000 IU vitamin A from carotene, 133mg Iron (beef liver only has 6.5mg per 100g!), 2-3% chlorphyll and 13% DNA/RNA ( used for cellular renewal, growth and repair)
It's also a good sourc3e of fatty acids particularly omega 3 (ALA accounts for ~20% total) which can be hard for veggies to get into their diets too.
As a bonus it also binds heavy metals (from pesticides, car fumes etc..), pesticides and PCBs making it possible for your body the get rid of them.
It also has anti-tumour and immune system enhancing properties, which is good for you as your immune system is compromised when your iron is low.
As a cheapre alternative Spirulina can be used, another algae but spirulina only has 58mg iron per 100g.
In my opinion for mild cases of deficiency which aren't life threatening it's always better to work towards balance by using natural foods=stuffs rather than resorting to artifically manufactured supplements, thats why things like alage are so great as an alternative, not only do you get all the added nutritional support like the fatty acids etc but you are eating the nutrients in a whole food with all it's dynamic and complimentary components intact which I believe as do many enhances both it's absorption and assimiliation.
You should also look into having a full blood test to check on your folic acid and b12 levels as these are likely to be low also if you are particularly low on iron.
How you prepare your food is also important, like for the leafy greans try to lightly steam, steam-fry or eat your veg raw as this will preserve the vitamin C needed to boost absorbtion of the type of Iron found in plant foods and this will also preserve the folic acid. try to buy fresh greens from farmers markets also that haven't been left in storage for two weeks before being put on the supermarket shelves before being kept in your fridge for another week as the vitamin C content decreases a lot from this.
You should seriously consider a bacterial-derived B12 supplement also as it is very difficult for veggies to get enough b12 if they're not eating a lot of dairy and all their veg is chlorine washed (like all the veg in the supermarket is), even mild B-vitamin deficiency can have a big impact on how you feel and your quality of life and you may not even realise it!
Hope you get better soon!

YFlyer

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Without a doubt go on Chlorella, it's a blue-green micro algae grown in south america that you can buy as tablets or powder in health food shops.
Per 100g it's 55% protein, has 55,000 IU vitamin A from carotene, 133mg Iron (beef liver only has 6.5mg per 100g!), 2-3% chlorphyll and 13% DNA/RNA ( used for cellular renewal, growth and repair)
It's also a good sourc3e of fatty acids particularly omega 3 (ALA accounts for ~20% total) which can be hard for veggies to get into their diets too.
As a bonus it also binds heavy metals (from pesticides, car fumes etc..), pesticides and PCBs making it possible for your body the get rid of them.
It also has anti-tumour and immune system enhancing properties, which is good for you as your immune system is compromised when your iron is low.
As a cheapre alternative Spirulina can be used, another algae but spirulina only has 58mg iron per 100g.
In my opinion for mild cases of deficiency which aren't life threatening it's always better to work towards balance by using natural foods=stuffs rather than resorting to artifically manufactured supplements, thats why things like alage are so great as an alternative, not only do you get all the added nutritional support like the fatty acids etc but you are eating the nutrients in a whole food with all it's dynamic and complimentary components intact which I believe as do many enhances both it's absorption and assimiliation.
You should also look into having a full blood test to check on your folic acid and b12 levels as these are likely to be low also if you are particularly low on iron.
How you prepare your food is also important, like for the leafy greans try to lightly steam, steam-fry or eat your veg raw as this will preserve the vitamin C needed to boost absorbtion of the type of Iron found in plant foods and this will also preserve the folic acid. try to buy fresh greens from farmers markets also that haven't been left in storage for two weeks before being put on the supermarket shelves before being kept in your fridge for another week as the vitamin C content decreases a lot from this.
You should seriously consider a bacterial-derived B12 supplement also as it is very difficult for veggies to get enough b12 if they're not eating a lot of dairy and all their veg is chlorine washed (like all the veg in the supermarket is), even mild B-vitamin deficiency can have a big impact on how you feel and your quality of life and you may not even realise it!
Hope you get better soon!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF INDIAN GOOSEBERRY (Amla)

Cures Anaemia : Vitamin C is required for the absorption of Iron from the intestine.
As Amla is richest source of Vitamin C it increases the absorption of Iron.Therefore one shoould consume Amla with green leafy vegetables or with Spirulina.Spirulina is an algae which is rich in Iron.In market there are tablets available which contain Spirulina & amla .
http://www.groundreport.com/Health_and_Science/HEALTH-BENEFITS-OF-INDIAN-GOOSEBERRY

Sapsorrow

Great tip Yflyer! Haven't heard of amla before will definately check that out seriously convenient if it's available combined with spirulina!

YFlyer

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Great tip Yflyer! Haven't heard of amla before will definately check that out seriously convenient if it's available combined with spirulina!

Amrit Kalash is your only man for all round health.

Sapsorrow

Goodstuff always good to hear some new names to check out, Paul Pitchford who wrote healing with wholefoods is my personal idol, Elson M. Haas is another great one I'n only recently after discovering who i thoruoughly reccomend esp for TCM

YFlyer

Thanks for the authors

Yes, traditional health care system is the way forward. In the Unitied States the medical establishment is looking at different natural health care systems due to the high cost of allopathic medicine. Its a start.

There is a seminar by Dr Donn Brennan GP MB, BCh, BAO, MSc AYU, MRCGP on 'Discover why this GP has embraced the ancient tradition of healthcare called "Ayurveda" in Kingsley Hotel, Victoria Cross, Cork.
16 May 2009 (Saturday) From : 10:00:00 To : 17:00:00

Sapsorrow

Sounds great thanks for letting us know, will definately check that one out! Tradittional chinese medicine is more my focus but I'm interestesd in Ayurveda also as I don't consider it any less relevant than TCM, I just find I can identify to the TCM philosophy side of things a bit more.

YFlyer

Your welcome

Orby

spatone?

YFlyer

Orby wrote: »

spatone?

Looks quite impressive. Just read a few article from Google Scholar. They indicate that Spatone Iron-Plus provides iron in a highly bio-available form.

Nice to know if there are any similar spas or wells in Ireland?

Censorsh!t

Apparently there's more iron in spinach than in the same amount of beef, but I'm not sure if that's correct, and you'd have to really love spinach to eat enough to make up for the same weight in beef!
Oats, wheat, lentils, soy, brocoli, parsley, thyme, bran flakes. Soymilk is very high in iron. I imagine, a bowl of porridge to start the day would be handy.

If you are dangerously low, maybe it'd be best to take a supplement for a while, til you get back on track and improve your diet. I used to take Ferrograd C a few months ago, and it also has Vitamin C in it for absorbtion. Make sure to take them with a meal so its not so harsh on your stomach! Or maybe a multivitamin might help?

raah!

+1 to kidney bean recommendations. I just throw a can of it in with everything I eat. Their taste isn't so strong either, so perhaps they would be suitable for someone who vomits from eating things they don't like the taste of.

I tried some new beans today (butter beans) and got terrible diarrhoea... on a side note.

Censorsh!t

raah! wrote: »

I tried some new beans today (butter beans) and got terrible diarrhoea... on a side note.

:eek:nice. Butter beans aren't great anyway! Too dry or something.

Tar.Aldarion

Add butter beans to things to make them nicer, pretty plain on their own.

rantyface

You only have to take galfer until your iron levels are safe, then you can manage it with diet. Diet alone will take longer. There may be other ways of reducing the side effects, like eating it with a very big meal, dinner instead of breakfast maybe.

It might seem "nice" to do it a natural way, but is it natural for humans to eat algae or be vegetarian anyway? Galfer is cheap and you only have to take it for a little while. All natural health food stuff is extortionate.

You didn't say if you were male or female either, because that makes a big difference. My iron is usually very high but after three heavier than normal periods I'm seeing spots.

Tar.Aldarion

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Add butter beans to things to make them nicer, pretty plain on their own.

Butter bean and carrot mash is savage.

rantyface wrote: »

My iron is usually very high but after three heavier than normal periods I'm seeing spots.

How do you mean seeing spots?

rantyface

Moonbaby wrote: »

How do you mean seeing spots?

Whenever my iron is low I feel slightly dizzy and I sometimes see purple spots when I stand up.

Sapsorrow

rantyface wrote: »

Whenever my iron is low I feel slightly dizzy and I sometimes see purple spots when I stand up.

Sounds like low blood pressure to me, get it checked out may have nothing to do with iron stores!

-lala-

khrystyna100 wrote: »

Sounds like low blood pressure to me, get it checked out may have nothing to do with iron stores!

I agree with this - get your blood pressure checked, and be sure to drink lots and lots of water all the time!

Thoushaltnot

Guavas, papayas and kiwi fruit are all excellent sources of Vit C (as are good, old fashioned rosehips) - tropical salad with your iron/"meat" meal?
However, exposure to sunlight or long term cold storage reduces Vit C content, as does cooking.
When Vit C and Vit E are taken together, they boost each other's performance.

Warning for wimmins though, I have read that a high dose of vit C will reduce the effectiveness of the Pill. To counteract this, I'd have my "calcium" meal at Pill taking time and "iron" meal 12 hours later. That was 10 years ago and a quick check on the 'net seems to not disagree.

And for that other poster, humans have been eaing algae/seaweeds for centuries - see here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture