Good foods to fight Anemia

Misslissy03
Misslissy03 Posts: 5 Member
edited December 1 in Food and Nutrition
I am severely anemic and twice I was hospitalized and had to have blood transfusions in the past year. I had gastric bypass surgery 4 years ago and am suffering from ulcers. I have added some things like leafy greens into my smoothies and take a supplement but because of the surgery I cannot absorb iron and other vitamins as well. Red meat is hard to digest. Any suggestions on high iron/protein foods I can add to my diet?

Replies

  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    Pork, poultry and seafood are also high in iron, as are beans. You absorb best if paired with another food that is high in vitamin C, like broccoli and tomatoes. What kind of iron supplements are you taking? It should be a carbonyl iron.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Ah, here i have experience! I hemorrhaged after 3 of my kids were born, so the very severe anemia is well known to me. Here is what I used to bring my hemoglobin levels up. I don't eat red meat much.

    #1 - Floradix. Not regular iron supplememts, the floradix works better.

    Cooked greens - kale, collard, mustards. Cooked should provide more iron to you, when you throw a handful of kale into a smoothie it's just a handful, but when you cook it that handful is a lot more greens.

    Clams! Clams have more iron than any other meat food. Clams with an acid (like spaghetti with clams in tomato sauce) is a highly available source.

    Oranges or orange juice, it doesn't have iron but seems to help it absorb somehow; probably folic acid.

    Beans, same - they have some minerals but it's probably the folic acid that helps.

    We always cook in iron skillet


    But mostly it's floradix and cooked greens, and clams and tomatoes, and rest. Your body can only absorb the mineral it at its own rate.
    Make sure you are not overbleeding, heavy periods will undo a lot of your work - when I had the copper IUD I could not keep up with the bleeding and got very severely anemic just from the heavy and frequent periods.

  • mjudd1990
    mjudd1990 Posts: 219 Member
    It's the vitamin C in orange juice that facilitates iron uptake. If you're taking an iron supplement for anemia, be sure it also contains vitamin C or that you are taking a supplement.
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
    Black pudding
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Prepared cereals can pack a lot of iron. Grape Nuts & Raisin Bran are especially high.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Take the iron as a patch and avoid the stomach altogether.

    Boil the lucky iron fish in your pot before adding your food.

    Take your iron supplement well away from your other meals like first thing in the morning or late at night, with a little vitamin C or other acidic juice to help with absorption.

    Never take your calcium supplement with your iron supplement. They will interfere with each other.
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
    Malt-o-meal has good iron but not much protein. You could add some PB or an egg to it to round it out. I'm iron deficient (among other things) and I try to get in malt-o-meal a few days a week in addition to my scripts.
  • Ultima_Morpha
    Ultima_Morpha Posts: 892 Member
    Which vitamins are you taking? I use Bariatric Advantage with iron and have had the best numbers of my life.

    Floradix mixed in with some Trop50 orange juice will also give you a good boost.

    Watch your caffeine intake; there are some indications that it can interfere with iron absorption.
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