Iron absorption

fr33sia12
fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
edited December 1 in Food and Nutrition
I know when taking iron tablets not to take them with certain foods like milk because calcium inhibits absorption, but does anyone know if that's the same with foods containing iron like Branflakes cereal?

Replies

  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    I think this is a yes, calcium and iron don't play well together.

    If you need to get your hemoglobin up, clams in tomato sauce, floradix supplement, kale/collard/mustard greens, vitamin D and sunshine, if you have to take the regular iron tablets take them with orange juice and avoid milk for a few hours, don't worry about the bran flakes and milk for breakfast as you do need calcium too.

    I hemorrhaged after 3 of my babies resulting in dangerously serious anemia and the Floradix/cooked greens/clams in tomato sauce/sunlight protocol resolved it quickly, never had any results taking regular iron pills but Floradix is vegetable based, so that's a good non heme iron, and clams have the most heme iron of any food, acid from tomato makes it more available, and vitamin D from sunlight helps somehow, I am not sure how.

  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    I'm only slightly anaemic due to fibroids so only need extra iron during my period, but would rather get if from foods the rest of the time.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    always take your iron with something high in vitamin C, it helps your body absorb the iron by quite a bit.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    ObsidianMist wrote: »
    always take your iron with something high in vitamin C, it helps your body absorb the iron by quite a bit.

    Thanks, I know what to take my iron tablets with, I was more concerned about iron in food and if absorption is the same as with tablets. If iron isn't absorbed with calcium then why put it in cereals as you always have it with milk.
  • kaaaaaat3
    kaaaaaat3 Posts: 13 Member
    In short, yes, calcium does stop your body absorbing as much iron. But it doesn't stop the absorption completely. An important thing to note is that the iron in iron-fortified cereal isn't the same as the iron in your iron supplements. In fact, the iron in the cereal can be absorbed up to 4 times BETTER than the iron in the supplements. If you have a glass of orange juice or a vitamin C supplement with your cereal as well, it'll help cancel out the effects of the calcium in the milk.
    Also, studies have shown (and I can't find a source right now, sorry, but I'm sure you can google it!) that calcium doesn't have a measurable effect on the absorption of iron in small doses. It takes about 300-500mg of calcium in one go to hinder iron absorption. There are about 300mg of calcium in 1 cup of skimmed milk. However, you can lower this by using (non-fortified) soy milk which has about 60mg of calcium per cup.
  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    kaaaaaat3 wrote: »
    In short, yes, calcium does stop your body absorbing as much iron. But it doesn't stop the absorption completely. An important thing to note is that the iron in iron-fortified cereal isn't the same as the iron in your iron supplements. In fact, the iron in the cereal can be absorbed up to 4 times BETTER than the iron in the supplements. If you have a glass of orange juice or a vitamin C supplement with your cereal as well, it'll help cancel out the effects of the calcium in the milk.
    Also, studies have shown (and I can't find a source right now, sorry, but I'm sure you can google it!) that calcium doesn't have a measurable effect on the absorption of iron in small doses. It takes about 300-500mg of calcium in one go to hinder iron absorption. There are about 300mg of calcium in 1 cup of skimmed milk. However, you can lower this by using (non-fortified) soy milk which has about 60mg of calcium per cup.

    Thanks, that helps. I do actually drink soya milk, I haven't drunk cows milk in years.
  • kaaaaaat3
    kaaaaaat3 Posts: 13 Member
    helenrosec0 wrote: »
    Thanks, that helps. I do actually drink soya milk, I haven't drunk cows milk in years.

    Most soya milk in shops is fortified though, with extra calcium to make the nutritional value closer to that of cows milk. I'm not entirely sure where to get UNfortified soya milk but it's out there!
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