Iron

QPR1953
QPR1953 Posts: 13 Member
edited 2:04AM in Food and Nutrition
I am on a vegan diet and I eat mainly plant based. I have lost 3 and a half stones since January but still have 1 and a half to go. I have noticed that the nutrients are showing that I don't get enough iron. I tried an iron supplement but it gave me dreadful constipation so I stopped it. Do you have any food suggestions please. I have loads of energy and don't feel tired so could it just be that the calculator just isn't picking up the iron in foods?

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    chlorophyll and IX (from nature's sunshine) are the only things I found that boosted my iron up to decent levels. It didn't upset my digestion, so that's nice. There isn't actually any iron in IX, it's an herbal blend that is supposed to help your body absorb iron better, so you still need to eat iron-rich foods with it.

    I think nuts and beans are good iron sources, but the sad reality is non-heme iron is not as bioavailable as heme iron, so for me I always needed to supplement.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2018
    This might help. Not that many people need to supplement with iron. Mostly younger menstruating women (especially athletes) and runners. Also, I have Restless Leg Syndrome. Some theorize that RLS means your body isn't uptaking iron well enough. I take Iron and it seems to help a lot (along with avoiding caffeine, Vit Bs and Krill). Most people get plenty from diet. Here's a list of vegetarian Iron sources.

    Taking iron if you don't need it can be harmful. Being Vegan, I'd be more concerned with Zinc and B-12 along with enough Omega 3s (and there are some great algae options now for that). I think vegan, done right, is a great diet plan for most all of your nutrients.

    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#section3
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,630 Member
    Yes ... go for a blood test and get a full vitamin/mineral screen. That will tell you in what areas you're doing well and in what areas you may need to take a supplement or reconsider some of your food choices.

    Agreed that too much iron can be harmful. As a young woman, I thought I needed to take iron, but every time I did, I felt awful. After a bit, I got tested, and it turns out my iron levels are naturally borderline high. I certainly did not need a supplement!
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I have my bloodwork taken every six months and so far, my iron levels are okay. Low-average, but nowhere near dangerous. I do track my iron intake (instead of sugar) on my diary page. Generally, I get it from
    • Veggie dogs. Yves brand (they're available in Canada; not sure about elsewhere) has 15% of my iron RDA in a 45-calorie dog
    • Dry cereal. Quaker Corn Squares gives me 30% in 30 grams. I think Life Cereal has similar. Check the boxes. (I never liked cereal in milk; to me dry is a snack.)
    • Lentils. I made a 3-lentil dal this week that gives 27% of RDA per serving
    • Made a vegetarian "meat" loaf that incorporates oats, tahini, and walnuts. Gives me 21% of iron RDA
    • Simply Protein brand chips generally have around 20% per bag
    • A number of fruits and veggies contain some iron. 2% here, 3% there... it adds up

    Here's a list I just snatched off a Google search: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-iron
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    DeadliftsAndSprinkles wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Yes ... go for a blood test and get a full vitamin/mineral screen. That will tell you in what areas you're doing well and in what areas you may need to take a supplement or reconsider some of your food choices.

    Agreed that too much iron can be harmful. As a young woman, I thought I needed to take iron, but every time I did, I felt awful. After a bit, I got tested, and it turns out my iron levels are naturally borderline high. I certainly did not need a supplement!

    It can be very harmful. I have iron overload and when not treated it can be deadly. It's in about one in every three hundred people yet no doctor tests for it unless you ask.

    Never take an iron supplement without first getting your iron and ferritin checked.

    This^^ and really any metal supplements, and a lot of the regular supplements in higher doses is a bad idea. Like potassium. That one can cause all kinds of serious immediate problems.

    Bloodwork is the only way. I thought my food was too low in iron, but my iron levels are fine according to bloods.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,261 Member
    edited August 2018
    If you confirm the need with blood tests, blackstrap molasses has around 20% of the RDA in a tablespoon. Since I think molasses is yummy, and like my daily oatmeal a little sweeter than plain oats, this was a good addition for me.

    ETA: I've found different brands to have surprisingly different flavors. Some taste nice and "molasses-y", but others just taste like burnt sugar. I'm liking Wholesome brand right now.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,093 Member
    edited August 2018
    QPR1953 wrote: »
    I am on a vegan diet and I eat mainly plant based. I have lost 3 and a half stones since January but still have 1 and a half to go. I have noticed that the nutrients are showing that I don't get enough iron. I tried an iron supplement but it gave me dreadful constipation so I stopped it. Do you have any food suggestions please. I have loads of energy and don't feel tired so could it just be that the calculator just isn't picking up the iron in foods?

    If you're talking about what MFP shows for your iron intake, there are two things you should be aware of.

    (1) The iron on U.S. food labels is based on the 18 mg RDA for women in their reproductive years who are not currently pregnant or lactating. The RDA for iron for post-menopausal women is far lower, only 8 mg. So, if you are in that category, you would be meeting your RDA if you hit 44% based on U.S. food labels

    (2) Most entries in the MFP database are created by users, and many people don't bother to put in data for stuff they don't track themselves. So unless you're checking all the entries you use against package labels, manufacturer websites, and the USDA nutrient database, it may be that what is showing up in your diary is undercounting your iron intake.

    ETA: And, as others have said, don't take iron supplements unless a doctor tells you you need to.
  • JasonDee1989
    JasonDee1989 Posts: 84 Member
    What about Total cereal? Not sure if that’s vegan friendly.
  • orochiwarrior
    orochiwarrior Posts: 97 Member
    Any dark green leafy vegetables are good. Dark Chocolate, dried apricots, black beans, lentils, tofu and quinoa. Just a few I have heard are good
  • forestdweller46
    forestdweller46 Posts: 28 Member
    Not a vegan, but since my current high protein1200 calorie diet doesn't register enough iron on the MFP tracker, I also eat a small bowl of "vitaminized" cereal. JIC...
    Decades ago I had a medical issue that should have left me anemic and my doctor was puzzled as to why I was not. He agreed that my lifelong use of cast iron pans for most of my cooking was a great factor in keeping the iron levels way up. Don't use the enameled cast iron and expect good results, must use old style cast iron.
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