Talk to me about iron - really confused

klybarger
klybarger Posts: 214
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
ARGH! I need more iron. I am searching for a good iron supplement that won't be too "harsh" and am trying to work in as much iron into my diet as possible. But just read an article saying the following inhibit the absorption of iron:

Red Wine, Coffee & Tea
Vegetables: Spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and sweet potato
Whole grains and bran
Soy products

Frick - that was pretty much my entire food intake yesterday. Absolutely detest and will not eat any kind of animal organs (probably why I'm in this situation but that's just nasty)

Hoping someone can enlighten me on this subject because I just win for trying here.

Replies

  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    spinach is actually a good source of iron, however, in order for the iron to be absorbed you should steam it and eat it with fruit packed with vitamin c, like oranges, strawberries etc.

    Also, red meat....yep, it has it's pros, organ meats (if you can stand them...liver is great) and believe it or not using a cast iron skillet to cook foods like meat and eggs.


    Top 10 Iron-Rich Foods
    Eat these to pump up your diet
    By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
    WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert ColumnIt used to be called "iron-poor blood," but now we know it as anemia. Whatever you call it, one way to help treat it is to eat foods rich in iron (most doctors recommend taking a supplement, too).

    To boost the amount of iron in your diet, try these foods:

    Red meat
    Egg yolks
    Dark, leafy greens (spinach, collards)
    Dried fruit (prunes, raisins)
    Iron-enriched cereals and grains (check the labels)
    Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops)
    Turkey or chicken giblets
    Beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans
    Liver
    Artichokes
    And here's a tip: If you eat iron-rich foods along with foods that provide plenty of vitamin C, your body can better absorb the iron.
  • jewely82
    jewely82 Posts: 52 Member
    I think that article has at least some of it's facts wrong. Spinach is actually a really good source of iron, so I'm not sure how it inhibits the absorption of iron.

    Also, you don' have to eat animal organs to get iron. There are many other good sources. For example: seafood, nuts, lima beans, spinach, broccoli and iron-fortified cereals.
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
    I think you're right about the article - just didn't make a whole lot of sense.

    I guess the secret is finding the combination of foods to get the most iron out of foods. I guess I need to take a different approach to planning my menu!
  • mrd232
    mrd232 Posts: 331
    The food SOURCE can be high in iron, but its ease of being assimilated into the body through the digestive system is how it's measured as a good dietary iron source. For example, when you consume a high grain content (or other food high in insoluable fibre) meal it lessens the intestines ability to absorb the nutrients in the food.

    Organ meats (particularly liver, tongue, steak, blood puddings) still stand as one of the best ways to get a potent amount of iron into your body outside of any supplement. For vegetables, consume a lot of dark, leafy greens and try to eat them with a fat source (butter, EVOO) to enhance the body's ability to digest the nutrients. Broccoli / rabe and other cruciferous vegetables are also good sources.
  • khskr1
    khskr1 Posts: 392
    What makes you think you need more iron? Did you doctor tell you that you were low? I was just curious. I have seen a lot of people think that they are low, but once checked, their levels are fine. Too much iron can be very toxic to your liver, so make sure you are low first before going too far overboard. If you are eating a variety of items then you shouldn't have any problems.

    But leafy greens are a great source. I've been a veggie for 7 years now and have never had an iron problem...so don't think you need animal protein to get it. BUT if you are low, you might want to think about a supplement.

    Hope this helps!!
  • bwilton77
    bwilton77 Posts: 93 Member

    ARGH! I need more iron. I am searching for a good iron supplement that won't be too "harsh" and am trying to work in as much iron into my diet as possible. But just read an article saying the following inhibit the absorption of iron:

    Red Wine, Coffee & Tea
    Vegetables: Spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and sweet potato
    Whole grains and bran
    Soy products

    Frick - that was pretty much my entire food intake yesterday. Absolutely detest and will not eat any kind of animal organs (probably why I'm in this situation but that's just nasty)

    Hoping someone can enlighten me on this subject because I just win for trying here.
    According to my doctor the best iron supplement is slow fe it dissolves gradually so it's not as harsh on your stomach. If you take a multivitamin Nature made gels are the best because they also have Molybdenum it them which helps the body absorb iron. I have been anemic for years and have struggled with how to get iron that won't upset the stomach. Red meats is about as good as you can get but make sure its lean 93%lean ground beef, lean steaks that sort of thing. I prefer to grill my red meat so it has flavor and looses alot of the fat. Yes liver is very high in iron but personally I can't stand the taste not to mention it's not very low fat. Beans are very good and any dark green veggie is also a good source. Breads can be high in iron as well as long as you read your labels.
    Good Luck it can be tough but start with a good suppliment. The Nature Made is great not only does it help with iron but it has all the other vitamins you need and doesn't upset the stomach!
  • mrd232
    mrd232 Posts: 331
    To answer the supplement question, in the time I avoided animal products, I took a quality multi for women with a higher iron content along with a spoonful of molasses everyday and a diet rich in greens... continued to have a low iron count, and then resumed the eating of animal products.

    That's probably not the answer anyone wants to hear, sorry, but that was my own experience.
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
    mrd232 - your advice makes sense. This will help me plan my meals/calories better. And molasses - really? I'm from Florida - molasses isn't a common staple in my pantry.

    khskr1 - I know my iron is low because I've been a loyal blood donor since I was a teenager. The last couple of times I've tried to give blood, I've been turned down due to low iron (little blood drop didn't even attempt to sink and numbers not good when they ran that separation test on it).

    bwilton - hope you've gotten your anemia under control. Can't image feeling like this all the time!

    Thanks everyone - your input has really helped.
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
    Parsley contains a lot of iron, a lot of vitamin C to help absorb the iron, and is relatively easy to eat. Use parsley as a garnish for your dishes. =)

    It's also got a lot of other amazing benefits:
    http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/diet_nutrition/ParsleyBenefits.htm
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    Sorry, I posted really fast this morning on the way out the door. I love spinach so I am not trying to say it is the enemy..

    ONE important rule to remember when trying to eat iron rich foods is to remember NOT to each milk or dairy products one hour prior to or one hour after ingesting iron rich foods. CALCIUM definitely blocks teh ability to absorb iron from iron rich foods.

    And yes, Liver is always a top ten food, but since we don't usually consume liver on a regular or any basis then you have to look towards other sources and shell fish is more iron rich than most sea food, although both are healthy options.

    I would recommend you do a little research on your own since none of us are nutritionists (that I know of) and consider a supplement, but be easy on supplements, it is easy to overdose on iron so make sure your daily supplement doesn't already contain iron.

    :wink:
  • mjkon
    mjkon Posts: 17 Member
    Cooking in a cast iron skillet is an easy way to increase your iron intake--I was taught this in a college nutrition class, in a lecture specifically about improving nutritional status for people of limited means. Evidently some of the iron from the pan leaches into the food. As an added bonus, these pans are great to cook with, and, once well seasoned, almost non-stick.
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    Or you could go lick your cast iron pan and get a few extra molecules :) but seriously if you cook in a cast iron pan it can impart some of its iron particles onto your food so definitely think about that! And I didn't make this up :laugh: my medical biochemistry teacher told me this in class!
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
    I believe it about the cast iron (not that I'm going to be licking them cause I probably need to eat the handle to get my iron back up to where it needs to be!). Our family camps - ALOT. I actually own numerous dutch ovens and cast iron skillets They are really awesome to cook with when seasoned (conditioned) correctly; never need to use oils to cook with unless you want to add it. I'm just not cooking the right stuff in them!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories