I need to know how to get more Iron!

I never get enough Iron and I know it is extremely essential, please help. I'm a vegetarian also :)

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Spinach, beans... Or just take a supplement?
  • I take a natural supplement called iron extra. You can find it at our local health food store.
  • feathertouch
    feathertouch Posts: 156 Member
    are they cheap enough the supplements? I'm a student with a very tight wallet as to say :p
  • Veronicacaca
    Veronicacaca Posts: 11 Member
    Thyme - fresh or dried
    Spinach- I think baby leaf spinach tastes better.
    Eggs
    Beans, lentils, chickpeas
    A lot of nuts contain iron
    Some breakfast cereals have high iron, check the labels

    I normally take a supplement- you need vitamin c to absorb iron properly, so I take one that combines both :) And when you eat iron rich foods, try and have some Vit C (orange juice etc) at the same time :)
    Coffee and alcohol are supposed to block iron absorption so bear that in mind when planning iron rich meals :)

    Hope this helps
  • Veronicacaca
    Veronicacaca Posts: 11 Member
    I get a cheap supplement from the supermarket own brand :)
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    The iron from meat is the best absorbed iron. The one from plants, not so much. Even if spinach has a lot, it still doesn't work as well as the one from beef. :(
  • feathertouch
    feathertouch Posts: 156 Member
    Thyme - fresh or dried
    Spinach- I think baby leaf spinach tastes better.
    Eggs
    Beans, lentils, chickpeas
    A lot of nuts contain iron
    Some breakfast cereals have high iron, check the labels

    I normally take a supplement- you need vitamin c to absorb iron properly, so I take one that combines both :) And when you eat iron rich foods, try and have some Vit C (orange juice etc) at the same time :)
    Coffee and alcohol are supposed to block iron absorption so bear that in mind when planning iron rich meals :)

    Hope this helps

    thank you, i didn't know that about coffee!! Is it the same with green tea??? I only drink it.
  • the best way is to take a supplement....n its not dat expensive....u'l find one in amy supermarket or rite aid...try it....dat will be d best
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Me too!
  • agbaeb
    agbaeb Posts: 179 Member
    Try the Middle Eastern spice za'atar. In 2 tbsp, you get 160% of your iron. I'm anemic, so I'm with you, always trying to increase my intake.
  • CouleeRunner
    CouleeRunner Posts: 256 Member
    My daughter has low iron. Supplements can be very hard on your stomach.

    The best way to get iron is from eating iron rich foods such as spinach and beans combined with vitamin C rich foods such as tomatoes and strawberries. This allows for easy absorption. A favorite of my daughter is strawberries wrapped in spinach and beans in tomato sauce.
  • angbunny22
    angbunny22 Posts: 54 Member
    I actually take "Slow Fe"....it is a supplement and isn't harsh on your system.
  • kllyeve
    kllyeve Posts: 18 Member
    I eat rice baby pablum. It is very high in iron and easy to digest - I have Crohn's and IBS so my tummy can be very finnicky. Red Meat doesn't agree with me any more.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    Unlike what others suggest, iron is not to be taken as a supplement OTC. Do not use iron supplements without the advice of your physician after a blood test for iron levels.
  • AmandaInGA
    AmandaInGA Posts: 122 Member
    I never get enough Iron and I know it is extremely essential, please help. I'm a vegetarian also :)

    I take prenatal vitamins.. I am not pregnant, but it makes sure I get what nutrients I need.
  • Halleeon
    Halleeon Posts: 309 Member
    I sneak my spinach into my smoothies and protein drinks!
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    Unlike what others suggest, iron is not to be taken as a supplement OTC. Do not use iron supplements without the advice of your physician after a blood test for iron levels.

    Good to know. Thank you. My wife and daughter both have Iron definiciencies so I found this interesting. Especially about the Indian spice. I will look into that.
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    Do you like grits? They have a lot of iron.
  • Veronicacaca
    Veronicacaca Posts: 11 Member
    I don't know about green tea... but if it is to do with caffeine then I would think it was a similar story to coffee because green tea has got quite a lot of caffeine in....maybe make sure you don't have your green tea with meals :)
  • Oh, this is all so extremely helpful. Whenever I don't get enough iron, I end up with a whole bunch of random little bruises, usually on my thighs, and I get really dizzy. I'm going to have to keep all of these things in mind.
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    Liquorice is apparently high in iron. And Bombay Mix. I read that the other day on an NHS leaflet about iron - a friend of mine is anaemic and looking to increase her iron.
  • awillkies
    awillkies Posts: 53 Member
    hi i've been veggie too for a very long time (i'm semi now though i eat fish). here is what i know (actually from my son's peditrician bc he had some low iron levels too):

    vegetables: broccoli, collard greens, kale, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, spinach, beans (the latter 2 being excellent sources)
    cereals: cream of wheat, oatmeal, farina, wheat germ, bread, molasses (1 tbsp black strap)
    fruits: prunes, raisins, dates, apricots, peaches
    other: eggs, tuna, beanut butter (1 tbsp)

    hope that helps! good luck!
  • Veronicacaca
    Veronicacaca Posts: 11 Member
    Oh also- I try and only take the supplement if I can't manage to eat enough iron one day or if I'm on my period.....I agree with what some people above....if you have too much it can give you a bad stomach!! :)

    I guess if you can manage to have enough naturally it's bound to be better for you :)
  • DavidYates79
    DavidYates79 Posts: 12 Member
    Blackstrap molasses. 1 tbsp is 50cals, has 20 percent RDI of Iron, and loaded with other minerals. I mix it in to a glass of milk and my son thinks it's chocolate milk. I get a 32oz container for $2.50.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    Unlike what others suggest, iron is not to be taken as a supplement OTC. Do not use iron supplements without the advice of your physician after a blood test for iron levels.

    Good to know. Thank you. My wife and daughter both have Iron definiciencies so I found this interesting. Especially about the Indian spice. I will look into that.

    Usually doctors refrain from supplements if the deficiency isn't too dreadful and try to fix it with appropriate diet. Low iron levels may be related to lack of enough vitamin C as well, since vit. C enhances iron absorption.

    Liver, lentils, dried fruit, even for vegetarians or vegan, the choices are plenty despite the lower absorption of non-heme iron. Good luck to your wife and daughter :)
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    Here's the leaflet I found: http://www.telangiectasia.co.uk/HHT Iron.pdf

    I see that Marmite is another good source. And dried apricots and raisins.

    Also, the best way for your body to absorb iron from vegetable sources is to take it with vitamin C. That is why it's often advised to take iron tablets with a glass of orange juice.
  • jillianlovesyarn
    jillianlovesyarn Posts: 44 Member
    The iron from meat is the best absorbed iron. The one from plants, not so much. Even if spinach has a lot, it still doesn't work as well as the one from beef. :(
    Who cares whether heme iron is better absorbed? It's not an option for vegetarians.

    Quinoa is another good source. So is blackstrap molasses. I'm not sure what your cooking situation is but cooking in a cast iron pan also boosts the iron content of food. Just as Vitamin C boosts absorption, calcium can hinder absorption so be mindful of eating lot of calcium when you're eating iron.

    As far as gentler supplements I've heard great things about Floradix and Floralvital (food-based, same company, one is gluten-free). It's what I would have taken during pregnancy except that my iron levels never got low enough to need supplementation. It really should be possible to do it through diet alone, though. Since I'm vegan, while I was pregnant I generally ate a couple cups of beans a day, some tofu, some quinoa and greens and that got me well above the recommended amount during pregnancy which is higher than the normal recommendation for women. With a little bit of planning you should be fine without the supplement provided you don't already have anemia.
  • pipsqueak12
    pipsqueak12 Posts: 31 Member
    I would suggest trying to get your intake of iron naturally.
    I have been iron deficient (anaemic) for a long time, 5+ years, and have prescribed iron, but as someone else mentioned it plays havoc with my stomach too, to the point where i stopped taking it completely (i had exams and did want it to interfere).

    I havent taken it for over a year now (i know its bad) but by eating iron rich foods, eggs and beans, mainly, for breakfast and vit C to help absorbtion, i have managed to greatly reduce the severity of my deficiency (through blood test results).

    I would strongly advise see your doctor about it though, too much iron can to detrimental too!
  • kimmymayhall
    kimmymayhall Posts: 419 Member
    hi i've been veggie too for a very long time (i'm semi now though i eat fish). here is what i know (actually from my son's peditrician bc he had some low iron levels too):

    vegetables: broccoli, collard greens, kale, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, spinach, beans (the latter 2 being excellent sources)
    cereals: cream of wheat, oatmeal, farina, wheat germ, bread, molasses (1 tbsp black strap)
    fruits: prunes, raisins, dates, apricots, peaches
    other: eggs, tuna, beanut butter (1 tbsp)

    hope that helps! good luck!

    This is a great list. I am not vegetarian but don't eat meat very often and I rely on dark greens, beans, eggs, and nuts for a lot of my iron. I would add that lentils are also great, more iron than beans. Quinoa, tofu and tempeh are pretty good iron sources, too. As others have mentioned, for the best iron absorption you should eat vitamin C-rich food with or soon after/before your high iron meal. You should also avoid calcium and coffee and tea (tannins) within a couple hours of eating your iron-rich foods because they can inhibit absorption. If you google something like "vegetarian iron sources" you can find a lot of information about this.