iron

Options
fbg419
fbg419 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Looking for information on getting more iron and vitamin k in my diet. Anyone else out there suffer from chronic anemia?

Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Options
    me! When i was in the US and had access to a bunch of fortified foods/Spatone i was able to handle it pretty well.

    I personally cannot take iron supplement in pill form because they cause severe gastrointestinal problems for me. I'm also vegetarian, so i have been trying to get it in other ways.

    If you eat meat and are in the US this should be easy for you to handle:
    Red meat
    Pork
    seafood
    liver
    tuna
    eggs
    soy beans
    lentils
    iron fortified oatmeal
    iron fortified cereal like Total (100% DV), grape nuts (90%DV), Cheerios (45% DV)


    There's also the supplement "Spatone iron-enriched water" which you can drink with orange juice (which helps vitamin c absorption). This is the only supplement i've tried which causes no problems to my stomach.

    good luck!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Options
    I heard once that using an iron skillet to cook your food also helped with getting enough iron in you.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Options
    vinegar_husbands wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    me! When i was in the US and had access to a bunch of fortified foods/Spatone i was able to handle it pretty well.

    I personally cannot take iron supplement in pill form because they cause severe gastrointestinal problems for me. I'm also vegetarian, so i have been trying to get it in other ways.

    If you eat meat and are in the US this should be easy for you to handle:
    Red meat
    Pork
    seafood
    liver
    tuna
    eggs
    soy beans
    lentils
    iron fortified oatmeal
    iron fortified cereal like Total (100% DV), grape nuts (90%DV), Cheerios (45% DV)


    There's also the supplement "Spatone iron-enriched water" which you can drink with orange juice (which helps vitamin c absorption). This is the only supplement i've tried which causes no problems to my stomach.

    good luck!

    No organ meats? :'(
    organ-meat_main.jpg

    oh yeah, i though i included liver. But yeah, organ meats. Sorry, since i'm a vegetarian i'm less familiar with all the "meat" options. :dizzy:
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    I heard once that using an iron skillet to cook your food also helped with getting enough iron in you.

    that's true. But not as much as one might think. if you use acidic foods/sauces in cast iron like tomato sauces, vinegar, etc. these can leech iron from the pan and add iron to your food.

    "For example, one study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that the iron content in 100 grams of spaghetti sauce jumped from 0.6 mg to 5.7 mg after being cooked in a cast iron pot. Other factors that boost the iron content of foods include longer cooking time, frequent stirring, and using a newer iron skillet.

    However, not all foods benefit from cooking in an iron skillet. For example, hamburger, corn tortillas, cornbread, and liver with onions didn't absorb as much iron. This was probably due to the shorter cooking times, and the fact that they were either turned once or not at all, resulting in less contact with the iron. "

    http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/does-cooking-cast-iron-pots-and-pans-add-iron-our-food


    For women who get their iron from animal sources they need 18mg per day. If you're veggie you may need even more than this. so it can be helpful, but not a solution.
  • Lisa_Ookoo
    Lisa_Ookoo Posts: 134 Member
    Options
    Molasses has a lot of iron. One tablespoon has 20% of RDA. I use it as a sweetener in smoothies, and on my peanut butter toast.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    Options
    Look for fortified breakfast cereals eg shreddies. Also green veggies like broccoli.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    Options
    Anything green is good. I have trouble absorbing iron so take a daily multivitamin with added iron. I'm pescetarian so make sure to have spinach, broccoli, avocados, reinforced cereals etc
  • Erfw7471
    Erfw7471 Posts: 242 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    I do. The previous suggestions are good (I can't do liver though ~shudder~). I've also been taking carbonyl iron because it is supposed to be easier on stomach - so far I'm not having issues with it like I did with ferrous sulfate.

    As mentioned, take with Vit C as it helps with iron absorption. ***Calcium inhibits iron absorption so take it away from dairy/high calcium foods. I don't even count the iron in my multi.
  • fbg419
    fbg419 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    I've been using the iron patches and have never felt better. It also has a lot of vitamin C which is great. Not to mention not having those other side effects ☺☺☺
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    I get anemia. I have a malabsorption disorder. And can't eat a lot of foods or take iron supplements right now. So, I don't know what to do. I will get tested again soon. And try more foods again soon.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Options
    Ear iron-rich foods with foods that have vitamin C in order to increase the iron absorption.
  • lmbecker12
    lmbecker12 Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    There is an iron supplement called Vitron C that has the iron and vitamin C all in one for those that need help above and beyond diet.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Options
    Floradix ftw. Absolutely the best supplement if you need to raise hemoglobin quickly. It's a plant based iron supplement, not made of rocks.

    Clams have the most heme iron of any food.

    Cooked greens have a lot of non-heme iron.

    Also look for the cause of the anemia - it may not be your diet.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    Options
    I am anemic and the only time it really causes major issues is when I am pregnant.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    Libby283 wrote: »
    I am anemic and the only time it really causes major issues is when I am pregnant.

    Yeah, it only really caused me problems during and after pregnancy. A few years ago I had stress induced hair loss. My doctor said it was from stress. But, I worried about iron. Been fine for about four years, so probably I don't need to worry.

Categories