Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: anemia and veganism??
Created on: 01/01/10 12:16 PM Views: 1506 Replies: 6
locamia27 Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 3	anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 12:16 PM I was wondering if you get enough bioavailable iron on this diet or should you supplement with a good iron pill or liquid? I have been vegetarian most of my life (and a good one eating lots of veggies and beans!)but have battled with extremely low iron store levels most of my life. I have to take iron pills every day. Does this diet offer enough iron? I am wanting to try it for other health reasons and because I am a diehard animal lover (I have 8 cats, 3 dogs, and a Russian tortoise!)
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Loni Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 11	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 3:25 PM Yes, you can get enough iron from a plant based diet. There is a lot of iron in spinach, all types of beans, lentils, even prunes! For some strange reason though... absorbing iron from plants is difficult for our systems to do. So to assist in the iron absorbtion proccess, make sure to have something that is high in Vitamin C with these foods, such as a small glass of orange juice or make a salad using spinach and garbanzo beans with berries or tangerine sections.
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
catgrrl Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 2	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 3:45 PM While I know it is possible to get enough iron and B12 (B12 from nutritional yeast) on a vegan diet, I became anemic after 2-3 years on a vegan diet. I think it depends on how much you eat of what and your own individual physiology (some of us absorb nutrients better than others and I probably don't eat well enough!). I understand that the body does not absorb more plant-based iron than it needs (while it will continue to absorb blood-based iron to the point of toxicity). So I take plant-based iron supplements daily (Floradix). I also take methylcobalamin based B12 supplements (most supplements are cyancobalamin, but that is not absorbed by the human body as well as the methylcobalamin). Hope this helps!
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
daelyn Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 3	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 3:54 PM "Iron— Diets consisting of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts provide adequate iron. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, with iron-rich foods enhances the absorption of iron. Some foods are naturally rich in both iron and vitamin C, such as broccoli, Swiss chard, and other dark green leafy vegetables. Other good iron sources include iron-fortified cereals, enriched bread, pasta, rice, soybeans, chickpeas, and blackstrap molasses." From here: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_kids.html Hope that helps! A multivitamin is probably a good idea too. Daelyn www
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
locamia27 Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 3	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 5:39 PM thanks. I am on a good iron pill with Vitamin C. And I do take an prenatal right now as well from my Naturopathic doctor. But if I will be getting alot of iron rich foods, I dont want to over do it, or under for that matter. Thanks so much!!
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
maryellenks Joined: 12/31/09 Posts: 8	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 6:30 PM I am recovering from a hysterectomy that I had to have due to a massive fibroid problem that caused severe anemia - it was bad enough that it caused my heartbeat to be irregular and did some damage to my lungs. (my red blood cell count, which is supposed to be around 300, was 5.) So, anemia is nothing to mess around with. I told my doctor I was going on this diet, and he said to be sure to keep taking iron supplements, because your body does not metabolize plant protein as effectively as it does animal protein, at least at first. There are vegan supplements and vitamin pills easily available, and the suggestion to always take your iron with citrus is really important to aid absorption. But, remember that calcium inhibits iron absorption, so make sure that if you take your iron with orange juice, it isn't the kind that has added calcium.
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
serenevannoy Joined: 12/28/09 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 294	RE: anemia and veganism?? Posted Friday, January 1, 2010 at 8:53 PM I have struggled with anemia, too, and my advice is to see what your doctor says about your blood levels regarding supplementation. Supplements are cheap, safe, and can prevent some serious health problems. Serene Vannoy, Oakland, CA -- My daily Kickstart blog: http://serenecooking.livejournal.com/tag/kickstart
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom

New Topic Reply Subscription Options

Page: 1

There are 27 active user sessions right now.