Iron

emmanewton39
emmanewton39 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I need to increase my iron intake but don't like red meat... Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

Replies

  • AshlynnHH
    AshlynnHH Posts: 27 Member
    I have an iron deficiency which makes it low all the time. All I can say is to get a doctor to prescribe you iron pills or you can try eating more seafood if you don't like meat.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Iron: leafy greens, meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, beans, raisins, apricots, iron-fortified cereals, breads, pastas, peas.
  • moumallick6
    moumallick6 Posts: 11 Member
    I think you need to adjust some vitamin c food in your daily meal... Vitamin c increases the absorption of IRON. Fruits like orange, lemon and citrus fruits. It will help in increasing iron in your blood. Thank you. If you want I can share you some more information...
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited July 2017
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I get a lot from legumes, veggie dogs (Yves brand gives 8% of my RDA) and cereal. (It varies by cereal. I snack on Quaker Corn Squares and get 30% in 30 grams. It's a bit sweet without being sugary.)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited July 2017
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    Individual iron supplements tend to be at the therapeutic level (several times above the RDA), whereas the multivitamins are the RDA dosage.

    Nevertheless, only people at risk of being deficient should take supplemental iron. This is a supplement that can harm if it is too high. Besides going to a doctor, pharmacists can be a wealth of information as well (and cheaper).

    Here in Canada, iron supplements are kept behind the pharmacist counter and they only supply after talking to the customer to make sure they understand it's use.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    Individual iron supplements tend to be at the therapeutic level (several times above the RDA), whereas the multivitamins are the RDA dosage.

    Nevertheless, only people at risk of being deficient should take supplemental iron. This is a supplement that can harm if it is too high. Besides going to a doctor, pharmacists can be a wealth of information as well (and cheaper).

    Here in Canada, iron supplements are kept behind the pharmacist counter and they only supply after talking to the customer to make sure they understand it's use.

    Thanks for clarifying. The one I take is a rather low dosage (it's the one my doctor recommended) so I wasn't aware that individual ones were often higher than what you would find in a multivitamin.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    The lowest dose I've found for a stand alone iron supplement was 361% RDA (it was prescribed). My multi-vitamin is something like 40% RDA for iron.

    OP - for a multivitamin look for a child proof cap. Not all multis have iron anymore.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    The lowest dose I've found for a stand alone iron supplement was 361% RDA (it was prescribed). My multi-vitamin is something like 40% RDA for iron.

    OP - for a multivitamin look for a child proof cap. Not all multis have iron anymore.

    Mine is just 139% of the RDA.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    The lowest dose I've found for a stand alone iron supplement was 361% RDA (it was prescribed). My multi-vitamin is something like 40% RDA for iron.

    OP - for a multivitamin look for a child proof cap. Not all multis have iron anymore.

    Mine is just 139% of the RDA.

    This is a good number......my issue was a few years ago, so I bet I'm a bit outdated.
  • jlbear4902
    jlbear4902 Posts: 1 Member
    I frequently get anemic and have found that eating grapenuts takes care of my iron needs 100%. They contain 90% of the average person's daily requirement in just half a cup!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    The lowest dose I've found for a stand alone iron supplement was 361% RDA (it was prescribed). My multi-vitamin is something like 40% RDA for iron.

    OP - for a multivitamin look for a child proof cap. Not all multis have iron anymore.

    Mine is just 139% of the RDA.

    My multi has a piddly 36% iron, and i still cant take it because it constipates me!
  • rmgnow
    rmgnow Posts: 375 Member
    If you cook in a cast iron pan, you can get some iron from that as well. Yes it is real.

    Milk contains some
    Spinach. Spinach is the iron super food IMO
  • tequila5000
    tequila5000 Posts: 128 Member
    Unsulphured blackstrap molasses. 1 Tablespoon has 20% of your daily iron needs. Add it to your oatmeal at breakfast. This will help you. And eat something with a little vitamin C at most meals or snacks. Vit C boosts your bodys ability to absorb the iron in your food.
  • emilyyoung4506721
    emilyyoung4506721 Posts: 12 Member
    Spinach and chick peas
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    edited July 2017
    Actually, spinach really isn't an iron superfood. Still has some and good for you in other ways, though.

    http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/spinach-good-source-of-iron.htm
  • czmiles926
    czmiles926 Posts: 130 Member
    I don't know how to post pictures in here but I found an article in a magazine (BBC Focus issue 287 November 2015)

    Top 10 common foods highest in iron
    1. Liver
    2. Dark chocolate
    3. Pumpkin seeds
    4. Oysters
    5. Cashew nuts
    6. Beef
    7. Lentils
    8. Spinach
    9. Tofu
    10. Quinoa
  • jessicafordy9
    jessicafordy9 Posts: 13 Member
    I have a friend who was told to eat fish by her doctor to improve iron intake (she was extremely deficient and even iron tablets didn't help her). It was tough for her since shes been a vegetarian for a very long time and now is technically a pescatarian.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jlbear4902 wrote: »
    I frequently get anemic and have found that eating grapenuts takes care of my iron needs 100%. They contain 90% of the average person's daily requirement in just half a cup!

    I love Grapenuts cereal. Another one is Cheerios MultiGrain - 100% RDA
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
    Do you have any cast iron pans? If not, check out eBay for already seasoned ones. You could probably use a large frying pan and a "dutch oven" which is like a stew pot big enough for a boatload of meat and root veggies. To clean it, just rinse / scrub it out and then dry it and wipe the inside with some olive oil.

    Ref: https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/energy/use-cast-iron-cookware-as-an-iron-deficiency-treatment/
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited July 2017
    jgnatca wrote: »
    If you still have trouble, you could consider a daily multivitamin. (not gummies since they often do not have minerals). A multi will also have B vitamins which you may be lacking if you are avoiding meat.
    Never take individual supplements such as iron unless advised by a doctor since it can be dangerous.

    Why would a multivitamin with iron be safe but an individual iron supplement be dangerous?

    Individual iron supplements tend to be at the therapeutic level (several times above the RDA), whereas the multivitamins are the RDA dosage.

    Nevertheless, only people at risk of being deficient should take supplemental iron. This is a supplement that can harm if it is too high. Besides going to a doctor, pharmacists can be a wealth of information as well (and cheaper).

    Here in Canada, iron supplements are kept behind the pharmacist counter and they only supply after talking to the customer to make sure they understand it's use.

    Thanks for clarifying. The one I take is a rather low dosage (it's the one my doctor recommended) so I wasn't aware that individual ones were often higher than what you would find in a multivitamin.

    When I was told to take a supplement (major issue with anemia) it was 325mg (65 mg elemental iron) which is 360% of the RDA. If it is not needed, that can cause issues. When my hemoglobin stabilized in the normal range, I was told to stop it.

    many multis don't even have 100% of the RDA because of the issues involved with too much iron. many marketed to post-menopausal women are made without any iron at all because our iron needs drop at that time.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Did you have your iron and ferritin tested? How do you know you need to increase it?

    This.

    After my anemia episode my doctor had me checked every 3 months. Once my numbers were high and stable, we do it once a year. I donate blood as often as I can and they do a hemoglobin check at that time. Always a good free way to get yours checked AND do a good deed to boot.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    Having haemoglobin in the normal range does not mean you are not be deficient in ferritin. It happens and is often overlooked, 3 in my immediate family one not blood relative, in law. When I tested myself by takingh vit b 12 with ferritin and something else, my immune system reactions decreased radically.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I hope it's okay that I post this here, i've just typed this entire thing out like hundreds of times on the forums and decided to make it all on one condensed page:

    http://blog.pop.fitness/low-iron-anemic-try-this/
This discussion has been closed.