dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
OK so maybe I am a little naive to even ask the pediatrician about a vegan diet but I was hoping she would know which vitamins they should be taking. I specifically asked about b12, but the dr said that is not an issue for vegans and the real issue is iron. She said the best way to avoid low iron was to feed DS meat twice a week. Then cited herself as an example, saying "I used to be vegetarian, but then I got low iron. So now I eat meat. I did have a heavy period though." Huh?
Her answer to "should I be giving iodine supplements, if I don't salt the food?" was: "If you don't want to salt your food, you can just salt DS's and DD's portions after you serve them, so that they get enough iodine." I have never before heard of a dr recommending to eat more salt, just because she did not want to recommend taking an iodine supplement.
Normally I really like this dr, I am stumped by her answers to my questions.
In addition to B12, iodine, and iron, I am also concerned about zinc. Does anyone give their kids vitamins? Do I need to have their iron levels tested periodically? I have a couple of books about vegan nutrition but they do not address this issue. I am very grateful for any insight.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I assume some people do give their kids vitamins, since there are chewable ones in dinosaur shapes! I'd find someone to give you a second opinion, if you don't trust your own judgement on what's best, that doesn't sound like very good advice you've received so far.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Quote:
heatherr30
I specifically asked about b12, but the dr said that is not an issue for vegans and the real issue is iron.
It's probably not even worth asking her to provide sources for that statement: I have't seen anyone, ever, who agrees in that viewpoint.
Quote:
She said the best way to avoid low iron was to feed DS meat twice a week.
Please have a look at this thread: Vegan iron
It's easy to get enough iron on a vegan diet, all you need to do is to eat those plants which contain iron. Using cast iron cookware helps too, but look up iron and so called oxalates, which is relevant if you rely on spinach as your only or main iron source.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Nori, and kelps have a lot of iodine in them, if you don't want to use iodized salt
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I believe most general doctors don't go through an extensive course in nutrition, so they're mostly either using their experience which wouldn't help a vegan, or go with an answer from a book, which there are many with different views on things.
Perhaps you could find some vegan moms here, or I'm sure there would be some sites with specific info out there. It did not sound like your doctor knew much about the vitamins, and since the "average" diet "works", they'll tend to fall to that. But I have ran into info on vegan moms and babies in the past, so I know it works out.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Hi Heatherr30,
We use Biocare Kids Complete Complex powder: http://www.biocare.co.uk/default.asp...GroupGuid=1062 everyday, along with the Biocare B12 drops and Abidec drops (once a week).
However, if it is iron specifically you are concerned about... when weaning we used Spatone: http://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/e...e/why-spatone/ in small dose appropriate quantities to supplement liquids before gradually introducing the Biocare (when more food was being actually eaten :lol: ). My post here: http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...l=1#post682105 explains a little better and the whole thread may be of interest.
Not sure if either of these products are available to you in Germany though!
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I think it's really important to find a pediatrician who is on board with your vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. If they're suggesting your child eats meat instead of helping to provide alternatives to supplement the iron, then you don't have a ped. who's on board with your choices.
I agree with other posters who say 'seek a 2nd opinion'. :)
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Heather,
my kids like the VEG-1 multivitamins that should give everything that a vegan needs.
Best regards,
Andy
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Quote:
heatherr30
She said the best way to avoid low iron was to feed DS meat twice a week.
This would have to be the meat of something that ate meat itself, of course.
Would be silly to eat the meat of something that eats only vegetables if you can't get loads of iron from eating vegetables alone.
Possibly this quack thinks that iron is an element that non-human vegetarians can synthesise?
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I think the point is that so many non-veg have such a poor diet that they really wouldn't get enough iron without meat. Because the animal ate vegetables, but many humans nowadays don't, at least not regularly.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I don't know if this helps but I had a chronic problem with anemia and low iron stores when I was a non-vegan, and eventually had a surgery to remove the lining of my womb (I was menstruating VERY heavily, for 10 days in every 21-28 day cycle), and although I was able to stop taking the horrid iron pills, my iron stores stayed very low...
When I became vegan I was concerned to see that all my vitamins were alright, and got tested at 3 months, and then again at 6 months, and my iron actually went UP, and not just that, it was the highest it had EVER been in four years (3 and a half of which I was not vegan).
I believe that it was partly due to my diligence in making sure I was getting a good source of the non-heam irons that you get from vegetable sources, but also because of the exclusion of dairy, as I'd been previously having irritable bowel issues (which resolved after the exclusion of dairy), and I believe I was not just losing it from menstruation, but also suffering malabsorption.
I used this chart to guide me in choosing foods high in iron and all the other nutrients: http://www.vegansociety.com/hubpage....16&id=21206913
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Quote:
Peabrain
I don't know if this helps but I had a chronic problem with anemia and low iron stores when I was a non-vegan, and eventually had a surgery to remove the lining of my womb (I was menstruating VERY heavily, for 10 days in every 21-28 day cycle), and although I was able to stop taking the horrid iron pills, my iron stores stayed very low...
When I became vegan I was concerned to see that all my vitamins were alright, and got tested at 3 months, and then again at 6 months, and my iron actually went UP, and not just that, it was the highest it had EVER been in four years (3 and a half of which I was not vegan).
I believe that it was partly due to my diligence to a good source of the non-heam irons that you get from vegetable sources, but also because of the exclusion of dairy, as I'd been previously having irritable bowel issues, and I believe I was not just losing it from menstruation, but also suffering malabsorption.
I used this chart to guide me:
http://www.vegansociety.com/hubpage....16&id=21206913
Yuck, women's troubles, sorry no offence but yuck all the same
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
I forgot to add! I give my 15 year old a vegan multi vit and mineral from Holland and Barret, and my 5, and 4 year old children a liquid iron and b vitamin supplement (which does taste very nice as opposed to some of the other ones!) called Floravital.
The one thing we do all lack enough of is vitamin D (but more because of sunshine and a large percentage of non-vegans are also vitamin D deficient), so I also give them vitamin D3 (a vegan one!) from vitashine. :)
They get everything else from natural and fortified food sources.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Can also take unsulphured blackstrap molasses to build up iron.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Quote:
The Mighty Bosh
Yuck, women's troubles, sorry no offence but yuck all the same
Well... sometimes it's relevant to the conversation (in this case it was to show that sometimes deficiencies are not caused by food but completely unrelated issues), and of course, you know what I'm going to say - it's worse actually going through it than reading about it. :p
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
"Women's troubles" yuck? Really? I am offended, myself.
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Saying "no offence" doesn't make a comment any less offensive :mad:
Re: dr says feed ds meat twice a week!
Yes, The Mighty Bosh, although I initially said I'm not offended, I do wonder how much that was because I was taken by surprise by what you said.
You do tend to say some odd things, and it makes me wonder whether you're here to have legitimate conversations or just bait people.
Either way, it might be worth engaging your brain before you post your next comment, otherwise I think people here will be forced to ignore you in future.
- - - Updated - - -
Now, back to the original poster's thread topic; I have been talking to a guy at an AR outreach table in my local shopping centre and he said his wife also had the same problem. She'd been vegetarian for a long time, but when she cut out dairy her iron went up too. Seems to underline the idea that dairy could be to blame for poor absorption.
