Iron levels

hannahgeorgina2020

Hello everyone I’m Hannah I’m 28 and have low iron but not anemic, my ferritin was 18 and the cut off is 15 so my dr had prescribed 200mg ferris sulphate but I don’t want to take them due to all the side effects… and possible toxic side to the tablets- I want to do this through diet - so looking for some tips for anyone in the same position

sollyn23l2

I mean, eating more iron containing foods like dark green leafy vegetables and red meat would be the simplest answer. But... supplementing is both easier and not really any different than getting it through diet. It's the same iron whether you get it through food or a pill.

yirara

I'd guess that if you've not managed to maintain a healthy iron level through food, eating more red meat and leafy greens won't do a lot. What kind of problems do you expect from the tablets? It's the same iron as in food, just more of it. Have it with your main meal and drink a glass of orange juice with it as it helps absorption.

kshama2001

Not so fast peeps - there are different forms of iron and some can have very unpleasant gastro-intestinal side effects. I once ended up in Urgent Care after taking iron pills as prescribed. That was from my primary - I switched to a hematologist after that and received better care. However, I went back to what I was buying, iron bisglycinate, rather than what they were prescribing (ferrous gluconate.)

Do to very large uterine fibroids and very heavy bleeding, I had severe anemia and needed iron infusions to keep my levels up.

I had no gastro-intestinal side effects from iron bisglycinate. Not even dark colored stools.

https://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Bisglycinate-Non-Constipating-Vegetable-Capsules/dp/B0001OP028/

Note that there are two ways to list iron values, I think chemical and elemental. The three digit number is chemical and the two digit number is elemental. So my 25 mg bisglycinate is not 10x lower than a ferrous gluconate listed as 250 mg, as that also includes salt. Here's an example for Ferrous sulfate: https://www.drugs.com/tips/ferrous-sulfate-patient-tips#:~:text=Only the iron component of,to 65mg of elemental iron).

I wouldn't bother with any foods that are fortified with iron because that just means the cereal or whatever manufacturer threw in the CHEAPEST POSSIBLE iron in order to get to the desired RDA. Rather than fortified, go with a supplement.

But back to getting iron from food, here ya go:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-iron-rich-foods