Anemic / Anemia

[8 winks]

i have a friend, she is in her 40s, who is anemic. not sure of the severity. as far as i know, anemia has to do with iron. does anyone have any good sites or thoughts on this? or any good suppliment or food ideas? any help would be very much appreciated. thanks

[cast_the_flames]

which kind of anemia does she have?

[Sabster]

Iron supplements will usually do it. Leafy vegetables are rich in iron ... so dark salads, spinach, etc is good too.

[Gorilla]

i used to slightly anaemic, being veggie for years and not really liking green vegetables. it came up in a blood test and my doctor suggested i take an iron supplement. i take 15mg iron a day and B12, because B12 deficiency can also cause anaemia, and now my iron levels are fine.

it's possible to get plenty of iron from a vegan diet, and i do try to get a fair amount from food, but as i don't like enough of the good foods much i take a supplement just to make sure.

check out the Vegan Society's info on iron: www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/iron.php

(sorry the link thingy never works on this machine. just copy and paste the address)

[gertvegan]

What should I do if my doctor tells me to eat meat because I have iron deficiency anemia?

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. Symptoms include pale skin, brittle fingernails, fatigue, weakness, difficulty breathing upon exertion, inadequate temperature regulation, loss of appetite, and apathy. These symptoms are similar to other diseases, making it very difficult to self-diagnose anemia; it should be measured by a doctor.

What many people don t know is that vegans tend to have as high or higher iron intakes than non-vegetarians, as iron is found in a wide variety of plant foods, especially beans and grains.

This was probably mentioned before, but worth repeating. Check out this Jack Norris (http://www.jacknorrisrd.com/iron) link for the full article. :)

[gertvegan]

Doh!

[feline01]

I was very anemic following the birth of my twins in April and I resolved it by taking an iron supplement plus eating loads of kale which is high in iron and beans. Any high-iron food like kale should be eaten with something containing vitamin c to increase the iron absorption so kale/tomato sauce is a great combination.

[cedarblue]

iron =
tofu
beans & pulses
spinach
cabbage
wholegrains
wheatgerm
parsley
prunes & dates
dried apricots
pumpkin seeds
millet
blackstrap molasses

[SarahLynne]

I'm hoping for some advice. I haven't converted to veganism just yet. I think I'm chicken because of my iron deficiency anemia. Since August 10, I've been on Depo-Provera (hormone shot) to hopefully control blood loss. Here's the thing though - I've developed anemia.

I'm on 100 mg. of elemental iron daily. I don't crave red meat though. What I crave is raisins, figs, prunes and such. Supposedly, plant sources of iron are not all that great. I hear that people suffering anemia need heme sources of iron (animal) versus nonheme (plants). Is that true? Anyone have any resources I could refer to?

[herbwormwood]

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/iron.php
has a few ideas.
Also Peter Cox "Encyclopedia of Vegan Living" has a lot of good info on iron.
There are many good sources of vegan iron but you have to have a source of vitamin C with it and avoid tea and coffee as it inhibits absorbtion, as long as you don't have the caffiene near when you eat it should be ok.
Goodle Iron sources,there is loads on the net. You can compare plant and animal iron sources for nutritional value.
If you have a medical problem causing iron deficiency anaemia you may need to keep taking the iron supplements, but so would you if you were not vegan.
A few people here have similar problems to you, so we know it is possible to live with iron deficiency anaemia and be vegan.

[SarahLynne]

Thank you, herbwormwood for the link and information.

I do take Vitamin C (either a C tablet or broccoli or fruit) with my supplement.

I haven't cut out the caffeine. I will do that. I have started to drink a bit more caffeine-free herb teas.

I just read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and come to find out that the rural Chinese have very adequate levels of iron from corn and whole wheat (except for the areas where they have parasite problems). That gave me some hope.

Once my iron level is back up, I'll stop being such a worry wart.

[herbwormwood]

Also if you have bleeding problems you may need to check your vitamin K intake. Vitamin K regulates blood clotting and hence it is important in cases where people have any bleeding issues.
Some people with bleeding problems have found great benefit from significantly increasing their vitamin K intake.
Good sources are Kale, brussel sprouts, seaweed, pak choi and parsley.
Google vitamin K for more.
Also you maybe don't need to cut out tea and coffee entirely, just don't have it with meals.

[SarahLynne]

Well, the blood issue is from fibroids. I hate being on Depo-Provera but it's a way of avoiding surgery.

That's good about the tea and coffee. I have upped my intake of Green Tea recently :)

[herbwormwood]

You can also google "menorrhagia diet" for some self help tips. Fibroids are very common, and there is a theory that diet can play a part in managing them.
Increasing your intake of vitamin K will still help you and it certainly would not do anyone harm.

[SarahLynne]

Thank you,again :)

[ilex]

Hello, friends...

I was just diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia, (which is due mostly in part to a heavy menstrual cycle and not diet). Anyway, I've been a vegetarian for a while and am trying hard to become vegan (I'm almost there). My question is...any suggestions for healthy, iron-rich vegan foods to eat? Also, is iron glycinate okay to take in supplement form instead of ferrous sulfate? (The menstrual cycle part is being treated, so that shouldn't be a concern any longer). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[harpy]

Hello - I'm sometimes a bit anaemic as well, but again it isn't to do with being veg*n - I was before.

There are a couple of lists of iron rich foods here:
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/iron.php
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html

Not sure about the different supplements - I only ever take "chelated" iron, the kind that is meant to be better for the digestive system, which you can buy in a vegan-friendly version in health food shops here.

[LuC]

Dried fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), nuts, green leafy vegetables, seeds and pulses (chickpeas, baked beans, lentils etc) are rich sources of iron. These foods can provide a good proportion of daily iron requirements. Also of relevance are parsley, watercress, edible seaweeds and black molasses. Its absorption is improved by the presence of Vitamin C, malic acid and citric acid. Good Vitamin C sources are green leafy vegetables (including cauliflower), citrus fruits, mangoes, tomatoes and potatoes. Citrus fruit is also a source of citric acid, while malic acid is found in apples, plums and pumpkins (amongst other foods). Phytates (such as in nuts, grains and seeds) can reduce iron absorption, as can tannins (from tea).

[Risker]

Here's some other threads you might find useful

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12425
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11567
http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13398

[Ginger]

Floravital. It's a liquid iron supplement. Tastes like s**t but does the trick.

[hippie4lyfe]

Hopefully I am getting to the bottom of whats causing this serious fatigue, my doctor said I was slightly anemic. He told me to take 325mg of ferrous gluconate. What confuses me is the box I got at the local drugstore says 325mg (5 grains) but the amount per serving says 36 mg. The guy at the pharmacy said something about how it was 325mg but blah blah blah and I didn't understand him.

I really need a high dose iron supplement to correct the anemia so I hope this is not 36mg and it is the right amount. Has anyone had iron deficiency and could enlighten me? Thanks to god for this forum.

Love,
Eric

[hippie4lyfe]

Also if anyone has gone through this how long should it take to start feeling relief from the fatigue and dizziness associated with a slight anemic condition?

[herbwormwood]

Here in the UK if one has iron deficiency anaemia and it is fairly mild, the doctor will normally want to do a few investigations to see what is causing the anemia, usually a physical examination, blood tests and some questions about possible causes for example excess bleeding.
They may give a course of iron supplements, here it is 200 mg ferrous sulphate, either 1, 2 or 3 times daily depending on the severity of the anaeimia.
Note this is a lot more than the recommended daily amount.
If you take the tablets with some orange juice it helps them be absorbed. You can start to feel better within a few days if you take the right dose and you are not losing any more blood.
However you should continue to see the doctor if you continue to feel unwell, because there are a number of causes of anaemia and if you don't have straightforward iron deficiency the symptoms will probably come back.

[ellaminnowpea]

Could anemia explain shaking and weakness in arms and legs?

And cramps in my back below my ribs? The pains are dull constant pains.

I'm feeling very ill, pains everywhere, and general weakness. I'm worried that I may vomit, though I've got nothing in my stomach.

[eve]

Nothing in your stomach? How's that? Have you seen a medic lately?