low iron and energy
cainthalia
Posts: 8 Member
Anyone have an issue with low iron? And if so, how do you handle it and are there certain foods that give you a boost of energy? I have been lacking it in my diet..
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Replies
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Are you going by logging your food here, or did you have bloodwork that showed low iron?
Many entries in the database are incomplete, so you shouldn't diagnose yourself with a deficiency just based on that. If you're concerned, schedule a physical.
I know the stereotypical iron rich foods are red meat, spinach, and shellfish.2 -
I did while I was pregnant with my daughter. A daily multivitamin with iron and a slight increase in dark greens and beef fixed it.2
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Beef is the only thing that fixes mine fast. Once my levels are good I can get by with eating it once or twice a week as long as I have other sources of iron the other days.
I've tried only plant based foods and had issues.1 -
Top sources of iron:
https://myfooddata.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php
whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70
I love beef, oysters, spinach, and cocoa; not necessarily all together though.1 -
I take an iron pill daily and eat more fortified foods (cereals, crackers, dark chocolate).
If you think you have low iron, get a blood test from your doctor to be sure.1 -
I eat plenty of greens and take a multivitamin and an iron supplement. I regularly have nori or miso soup with nori as they're high in iron.
I'm mindful of my iron intake as I've been found to have low levels in the past.
It's best to get tested if you have any concerns about low iron levels. It's better to know for certain either way.1 -
It's hard to get all your requirement of iron just from a normal balanced diet. You would need around 700g a day of spinach to get 100% of recommended requirement of iron so the amount I eat in a salad is about 8%. I eat fortified cereals, green vegetables and other foods rich in iron as much as I can (don't eat meat) but end up having to take an iron tablet to make sure I get enough as I can get anaemic around my period with heavy bleeding. If you do take an iron tablet make sure it's not with caffeine or calcium though as that stops absorption of iron.0
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Beans of various kinda have pretty healthy amounts of iron. Remember to pair non-heme iron with vitamin c to increase absorption. I'd especially not recommend raw spinach as a source of iron due to the oxalate content but it's fine if cooked.3
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fuzzylop72 wrote: »Beans of various kinda have pretty healthy amounts of iron. Remember to pair non-heme iron with vitamin c to increase absorption. I'd especially not recommend raw spinach as a source of iron due to the oxalate content but it's fine if cooked.
Your body can produce oxalate on its own or obtain it from food. Vitamin C can also be converted into oxalate when it's metabolized. Once consumed, oxalate can bind to minerals to form compounds, including calcium oxalate and iron oxalate. This mostly occurs in the colon, but can also take place in the kidneys and other parts of the urinary tract.
For most people, these compounds are then eliminated in the stool or urine so cause no problems.
I think the benefits of spinach are worth it for me anyway.1 -
Are you going by logging your food here, or did you have bloodwork that showed low iron?
Many entries in the database are incomplete, so you shouldn't diagnose yourself with a deficiency just based on that. If you're concerned, schedule a physical.
I know the stereotypical iron rich foods are red meat, spinach, and shellfish.
I went by both so I think its pretty low. Unfortunately.
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cainthalia wrote: »Are you going by logging your food here, or did you have bloodwork that showed low iron?
Many entries in the database are incomplete, so you shouldn't diagnose yourself with a deficiency just based on that. If you're concerned, schedule a physical.
I know the stereotypical iron rich foods are red meat, spinach, and shellfish.
I went by both so I think its pretty low. Unfortunately.
Was your doctor concerned or give you any direction?1 -
cainthalia wrote: »Anyone have an issue with low iron? And if so, how do you handle it and are there certain foods that give you a boost of energy? I have been lacking it in my diet..
When my anemia isn't properly treated I have crippling fatigue.
I can't get enough iron from my diet alone. To stay in Low Normal, I eat 100% of the RDA, plus I supplement with 278%. So almost 400% to stay in Low Normal. Plus more when I'm menstruating, including Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron.
It's really important that I get my iron levels tested at least yearly, and more often if my levels fall into Anemic and am working to get them back up.
Also, there are many forms of iron and the first few I tried did nothing to get my energy levels up. I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Furthermore, too much iron can also cause problems, so I strongly encourage you to not follow my regimen but to work with your doctor to find your own.3 -
What I'm about to say is very empirical, so take this with a grain of salt
I noticed that stopping drinking tea after my meals, and being able to stick to my regular diet (loads of lentils and dark green veggies) helped me overcome my little decrease in iron level (as I've been giving my blood for 4 years, it gives me a good insight of the variations).3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »cainthalia wrote: »Anyone have an issue with low iron? And if so, how do you handle it and are there certain foods that give you a boost of energy? I have been lacking it in my diet..
When my anemia isn't properly treated I have crippling fatigue.
I can't get enough iron from my diet alone. To stay in Low Normal, I eat 100% of the RDA, plus I supplement with 278%. So almost 400% to stay in Low Normal. Plus more when I'm menstruating, including Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron.
It's really important that I get my iron levels tested at least yearly, and more often if my levels fall into Anemic and am working to get them back up.
Also, there are many forms of iron and the first few I tried did nothing to get my energy levels up. I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause.
Furthermore, too much iron can also cause problems, so I strongly encourage you to not follow my regimen but to work with your doctor to find your own.kshama2001 wrote: »cainthalia wrote: »Anyone have an issue with low iron? And if so, how do you handle it and are there certain foods that give you a boost of energy? I have been lacking it in my diet..
When my anemia isn't properly treated I have crippling fatigue.
I can't get enough iron from my diet alone. To stay in Low Normal, I eat 100% of the RDA, plus I supplement with 278%. So almost 400% to stay in Low Normal. Plus more when I'm menstruating, including Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron.
thanks so much very helpful!!!0 -
What I'm about to say is very empirical, so take this with a grain of salt
I noticed that stopping drinking tea after my meals, and being able to stick to my regular diet (loads of lentils and dark green veggies) helped me overcome my little decrease in iron level (as I've been giving my blood for 4 years, it gives me a good insight of the variations).
thank you!!! and lentils... good one I forgot about them1 -
fuzzylop72 wrote: »Beans of various kinda have pretty healthy amounts of iron. Remember to pair non-heme iron with vitamin c to increase absorption. I'd especially not recommend raw spinach as a source of iron due to the oxalate content but it's fine if cooked.
Yea that is definitely a good one. Thank you! and yea im gonna try and get my vitamin C in too!!0 -
It's hard to get all your requirement of iron just from a normal balanced diet. You would need around 700g a day of spinach to get 100% of recommended requirement of iron so the amount I eat in a salad is about 8%. I eat fortified cereals, green vegetables and other foods rich in iron as much as I can (don't eat meat) but end up having to take an iron tablet to make sure I get enough as I can get anaemic around my period with heavy bleeding. If you do take an iron tablet make sure it's not with caffeine or calcium though as that stops absorption of iron.It's hard to get all your requirement of iron just from a normal balanced diet. You would need around 700g a day of spinach to get 100% of recommended requirement of iron so the amount I eat in a salad is about 8%. I eat fortified cereals, green vegetables and other foods rich in iron as much as I can (don't eat meat) but end up having to take an iron tablet to make sure I get enough as I can get anaemic around my period with heavy bleeding. If you do take an iron tablet make sure it's not with caffeine or calcium though as that stops absorption of iron.
Wow i didnt realize that! thank you
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TheDevastator wrote: »Top sources of iron:
https://myfooddata.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php
whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70
I love beef, oysters, spinach, and cocoa; not necessarily all together though.
Thanks for the link!!! and that all sounds good
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eve2018eve wrote: »I eat plenty of greens and take a multivitamin and an iron supplement. I regularly have nori or miso soup with nori as they're high in iron.
I'm mindful of my iron intake as I've been found to have low levels in the past.
It's best to get tested if you have any concerns about low iron levels. It's better to know for certain either way.
Thank you !!! acutally very helpful. I did not realize that miso soup was so high in iron. I wnjoy it very much. !
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Have you had bloodwork that showed you are actually deficient? There are many other vitamin deficiencies that can lead to low energy. If you haven't already done a vitamin/mineral panel, I would highly suggest that, then you can supplement with what you actually need. Any vitamin or mineral supplementation regimen should only be on a temporary basis until your levels are restored to normal.
As for ways to increase your Iron intake, you've gotten a lot of great suggestions here. I would also add to start cooking in a cast iron pan. I was iron deficient for years on and off and supplementing with Iron when needed. Ever since I started cooking almost exclusively with cast iron, my levels have stayed consistent w/o the need to supplement. It might be woo, but it has worked for me.0 -
Check with your doctor first.
I had extremely low iron to the point where the doctor didn't know how I was functioning. I couldn't drive, and would fall asleep after being in the same position for 5 minutes...
I had to take 3x the daily dose for an iron supplement for 2 weeks, and then 2x (for another 2 weeks), and then 1, just to get my iron levels back where they should be.
Always check with your doctor because low iron is bad, but so is too much. And make sure it actually is iron that you need and not something else, that seems like an easy "eat iron rich foods" fix.
I thought I had sleep apnea. My doctor said it was iron deficiency/anemia.0 -
Mine are low (blood test), if I take a multi vitamin + iron for 2-3 days i feel better, but the multi makes me feel nauseous. I have to take it in between a meal, and i keep forgetting...
I have started cooking several foods in a cast iron pot, not sure if that helps. if you take too much turmeric, it lowers the iron level too.0
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