Considering supplementing iron

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ericsolberg
ericsolberg Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a middle-aged male, so iron isn't supposed to be an issue for me. I'm not a vegetarian and definitely love my steaks and burgers. But once my weight hit 245 I decided it was time to do something and started using MFP to help me manage my diet. In 6 months I've managed to drop 45 pounds in spite of usually exceeding my calorie goals haha. Although I do like beef, I just don't eat that much of it anymore because of my dieting- and a general desire for a healthier diet.

But of course as the weight has gone down so have the calorie goals- and MFP has me on 1240 net calories now (though I'm purposefully going for 1300-1400 instead). I realize how sensitive this is, so I'm paying close attention to all the nutrients. It looks like I am averaging about 25%-35% RDA of iron. Looking back over the last 6 months, there is not a single day that I've hit 100%- even on days where I went off the diet and ate 4000 calories and big fat steaks! There are a handful of days where I was in the 80% range, but not very many.

I do take supplements for a few of the other nutrients that I know I'm challenged with- Calcium, D, etc. I'm also looking at amino acids but I think I have a good handle on that.

Iron seems to be a challenge though. First there's the issue of heme- vs. non-heme iron. Then there's the interactions that prevent absorption. Then there's just identifying the foods that have it (look at the info on pumpkin seeds- depending on what you read they give you somewhere from 5% to 35% RDA of iron in one serving).

There are lots of iron supplements- one is Ultimate Iron by Enzymatic Therapy. This is a heme iron supplement (one of the only ones I could find). But it bothers me that this one adds 3332% RDA of B12. I do take vitamins, but I avoid megadoses of anything and there are some dangers with B12 megadoses (even though a lot of people do go extreme on B12).

I've thought about forcing myself to eat mussels or chicken livers- but I don't see this as a daily solution. I could go back to more beef but I don't think that would be a solution either at my current calorie level. I am getting ready to start making superfood smoothies a part of my routine, and I can put spirulina in that which has some iron. But I wonder if this will be enough?

Has anyone else figured this out, safely? Do you take a supplement? Daily? If I did an iron supplement I could take it with lunch which would probably be the best for absorption since I take my other supplements with breakfast/dinner and coffee in the morning.

Thanks for any advice. I'm just 20lbs from my target weight!

Replies

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    edited November 2014
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    You should really have blood work done first to see if you're iron is actually low. Taking iron supplements can be a challenge and they can play havoc with your digestive tract. If you really do need supplements I would try to get it through other food sources, spinach, walnuts, watermelon (believe it or not), etc. Do a little more research incorporating iron into your diet before going the supplement route. Just my opinion.

    I had to take iron for about six months a couple of years ago and was told to take extra vitamin C to help with the absorption rate. Taking iron isn't a particularly pleasant experience though so I would still try to avoid it if possible.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    At your age, you should be getting a yearly physical. Everyone should, really, but especially as we get older...it's important.

    Your doc will run your blood. If you're low and require supplements, he will tell you. He'll tell you what to take, too.

    If the doc hasn't told you to take supplements, I wouldn't.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    LLL, lucky! Maybe it was just the kind my doctor prescribed? I thought it was pretty bad and was begging to stop by the time I was done. :D

    I'm not trying to be a "negative nancy" OP, just sharing my experience.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
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    Also, look deeper into the nutritional information showing for your most frequently logged foods. There are a lot of extremely inaccurate entries in the database. Some of the member-submitted ones have only calorie information and leave everything else blank, for instance, and many more have calories and macros but leave other stuff blank. 20-40% for someone who's been making an effort to eat healthier sounds more like a database accuracy issue than an actual nutrient deficiency.

    I rarely hit 100% either. But I find that both spinach and lentils help a lot, and on days I have both I do often get to that 100% mark. Also, if you like tofu, some brands have a lot of iron too.
  • 16shelz
    16shelz Posts: 11 Member
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    Definitely get your iron levels tested first. I believe it can be dangerous otherwise. A cheap and easy way would be to donate blood. They will test you prior to drawing and if it's low they won't let you donate.
  • ericsolberg
    ericsolberg Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice! Yeah I was thinking about the database accuracy too- I will look into that aspect to be sure. Agreed on the need for a Dr checkup - I'm one of those guys who rarely sees a doctor standing on my feet haha. Its time. But tonight I do believe I will go have a big steak.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
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    "Meat.............it's what's for dinner"!
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
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    See a Doctor...ask for a complete blood count. The tests will be a red blood cell count, a hemoglobin concentration and red cell indices: MCV, MCH, MCHC. Also ask for an iron and iron binding capacity.
    Then and only then can you answer your question.
  • eatliveplay
    eatliveplay Posts: 24 Member
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    Do not take iron medication without a blood test first and discussions with your doctor. It is uncommon for men to have issues with iron, it can happen but it needs to be diagnosed first. Too much iron is not a good thing and can make you ill. How are you physically feeling? If you're just focusing on numbers from logging I would interpret them with a large grain of salt. The dietary requirements of iron for a male are significantly lower than for females. It's highly unlikely you would require medication unless you have a condition that decreases absorption.

    Source: I'm an RN with iron deficiency anaemia (lulz).
  • tachikata
    tachikata Posts: 12 Member
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    For some research I know of a product called "Floradix - Floravital Liquid iron" it's bought over the counter at the supermarket where I am so it's pretty safe compared to other iron supplements but not sure whether or not you have it where you are. It's plant based and non heme so will have interactions with red wine tea and other food from what I hear so best taken 2 hours after or before a meal on it's own for best effect.

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