iron supplements?

mk834

I was checking out my nutrient intake by day and noticed that I don't get enough iron. Does anyone take supplements for that? If so, what is your experience with them? Do they really work? Thanks!

vicrandom

If you have a tendency toward low iron (in your blood, not in your diet), ask a doc to reccommend a supplement - they come in lots of different forms that have different bioavailabilities. If you're not eating enough iron and don't want to eat more iron-rich foods (beeeets!), consider getting a cast-iron frying pan or other cast iron cookware. Seriously, for most people it adds enough iron to your diet to even out any deficiencies.

If you're not getting enough iron because you don't eat a lot of meat, remember to pair your iron-containing vegetables with vitamin C to promote good uptake of the iron in your veg (spinach strawberry salad, beet orange salad, red peppers and spinach in omelettes...)

SCtolulu

Definitely get your iron level tested before taking anything. You do not want to overload on Iron.

mk834

Thanks for the advice. The last time I got my nutrients tested, I was fine on iron, but I just don't want to become deficient. I cook with a cast-iron pan for almost every meal, so hopefully that will help. Thanks!

Princess4Run

There is hardly anyone that can hit MFP iron daily goal unless you take a MV with iron or eat liver and tons of spinach everyday. That being said, cooking with cast iron should help. You can include foods in your diet that are high in iron- green leafy vegetables, meat, chia seeds, beets, etc. If you don't have symptoms of anemia (fatigue, shortness of breath with exercise, pale skin, lightheadness) then you are probably fine without supplements. Have your doctor check some iron levels with your next physical. I wouldn't necessarily use supplements unless you know you are low. A great iron supplement is Blood Builder by MegaFoods, it gets the work done without GI troubles.

ashleymcn01

I had stopped taking all of my supplements, including Iron, when I moved to eating more organic fruits and vegetables and started drinking a morning smoothie, which contained about 2 cups of spinach. I got away from the smoothies about 1 year ago when I noticed I stopped losing weight, and my energy level definitely dropped off. I just started taking my iron pills earlier this week and have got the motivation and energy to start working out again and have already dropped on the scales. I am picking up some Green Tea extract this weekend from Whole Foods, so I don't have to take the iron as often since I've heard you really don't need to take it for very long.

So in my experience, iron supplements have worked for me!

GoTeamMeaghan

#1 side effect of iron pills...constipation. I had iron defecient anemia as the result of my Crohn's disease and had to get 6 IV iron infusions last year, so I take my iron levels very seriously. I'm also vegetarian which can make it a little more difficult to find iron sources. First the dr put me on prenatal vitamins because of the iron, but I couldn't handle the side effects, so I switched to liquid iron, which tastes exactly how you think it would taste...revolting. I have now made a serious effort to get my iron from food sources and my blood work has never been better. Definitely get you blood checked before starting supplements-too much iron is really bad for you. Some great sources of iron are blackstrap moleasses, sugar snap peas, fortified breads, Gardein faux meat products (or red meats if you eat meat), beans (especially lentils), quinoa, oats & kale. As someone else said, you will need to consume bitamin c with iron to obtain maximum absorption (add strawberries to oatmeal, have some snap peas with a burger or veggie burger, etc.) Feel free to check out my diary for ideas.

suzannexxx

http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-gb/uk/our-brands/spatone/
i take this natural and some good deals on amazon