Sources of Iron

So, I'm anemic & I wasn't too concerned at first, but w/ exclusively BF'ing and having two more to chase after, my energy is way down and this could be a cause. My dr prescribed a supplement, but it's REALLY expensive, even w/ insurance covering part of it. Although I'm not vegetarian, we eat very little meat & I don't want to increase that.

So, what are some good non-meat sources of iron? I'm thinking spinach & broccoli - is that right? What else?

Thanks mamas

[GodChick]

i've been meaning to ask this too. i'm anemic, and dd1 tested + for anemia at one point . . . now dd2 is acting tirted a lot ans i'm wondering about anemia. we don't eat a lot of meat either. looked on the side of cascadian farms organic frozen spinach and it said it provides 4% of iron. great. all i have to do is eat eight pounds a day.

[Punkie]

Here's some good charts:

http://www.soystache.com/iron.htm
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/foo...ition/iron.php

Pumpkin seeds are really easy to come by this time of year, and they are a great source. We just made some pumpkin bread today and I roasted the seeds. Its so easy

Chlorophyll is great, and you can buy a big bottle that'll last you a month for less than $10. Just add 2tbsp to your OJ in the morning, and make sure that it isn't calcium-fortified OJ since calcium blocks iron absorption. If you're not vegan, then also make sure that you don't consume a lot of dairy (totaling more than 300mg calcium) when you eat your iron rich foods.

[hopefromgrace]

Black-strap Mollases

What about a green smoothie?

Wow, great responses - thanks!

[Littledisciples]

Beans, Dry Cereal can have Iron in it, Cream of Wheat, Malt O Meal Hot cereals are fortified with it.

[chelsea]

When ds needed an iron supplement but was having strange reactions to Floradix...my Nutripath had me juice spinach and then freeze it and give him an ounce per day. So I'm assuming that juiced spinach has a fairly high concentration of it.

Originally Posted by punkie

Just add 2tbsp to your OJ in the morning, and make sure that it isn't calcium-fortified OJ since calcium blocks iron absorption. If you're not vegan, then also make sure that you don't consume a lot of dairy (totaling more than 300mg calcium) when you eat your iron rich foods.

Making sure you do not take calcium supplements or foods high in calcium when you take your iron supplement for the reason mentioned above is important. And adding it to OJ is a great idea because Vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron.

[ShangriLewis]

I want to make a point that I've made before. That Vitamin C is very vital. Most people who are anemic are not low in iron. They just aren't absorbing well or they eat things like a lot of dairy that block absorption.

I love the Blackstrap Molasses especially on a chunk of cornbread. You can add it to all your baking and smoothies.

[chelsea]

Just found out that 1 cup of sesame seeds has 116% of the RDA for iron in it! It also has 140% of calcium in it. I know that calcium and iron can block each other's absorptions, but I would think that if God created so many foods which contain both of these, there must be a reason (like maybe vegan sources don't battle each other the way they would if you were getting your iron from meat and your calcium from dairy? That's just my random possible-theory...thoughts anyone?)

The juicing spinach idea is great.I do it What about greens,raisins,beans,couple your vit C with your iron for absorbtion.I hope you feel better soon

I cannot say enough about Floradix liquid iron. It is fantastic! I started taking it when pregnant with Luna and was feeling SO drained. I read about it at Amitymama and ordered some from www.vitacost.com. I kid you not, the very first day I took it, I was suddenly full of energy. It can be pricey for our whole family to take it every day. I shoot for once every 2-3 days because we cook in cast iron and eat a lot of iron rich foods. If I skip it for too long, I can feel it. When I take a dose, I feel energy surging through me within 2 hours time.

[April G]

subbing... I struggle with keeping my iron levels high enough... :/

I second the Floradix recommendation...I started taking it about a month ago and it's AMAZING. I definitely notice if I miss a day. Green smoothies would be a cheaper option...add lots and lots of spinach and it will up that iron fast!

Sara