Low iron levels

[Dadie]

I was wondering what is best for upping my iron levels as i got told they were low today.
I find that the ferrous sulphate tablets play havoc with my stomach and was wondering what else out there was better....and yes i do eat red meat, cabbage and broccoli but have a love hate relationship with spinach and drink oj with them to help the absorbtion of the iron apart from cutting down on tea what else can I try?

[lazytown]

guinness...:lol:

[Fluff]

I was told last week that dried apricots have a lot of iron! when my iron was low i stopped drinking tea too and found that helped some what, but i took the iron tablets.
:)

[Dadie]

that old black andwhite stuff is not any good as im pregnant

[percy toboggan]

I just posed the question...'Liver' came back the answer.
From someone who knows her onions!

[Julia]

Being pregnant or breastfeeding means you require 2.5 times the normal required amount of iron.

Good sources include the following but you are best avoiding liver, seafood and nuts during pregnancy.


Liver and other meats
Seafood
Dried fruits like apricots, prunes and raisins
Nuts
Beans, especially lima beans
Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli
Whole grains
Iron-fortified breads and cerealsI always end up on iron tablets when I am pregnant, it may be the best way to ensure you have enough in your diet.

[Margaret M.]

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food. So be sure to have foods high in Vitamin C with the foods containing iron.

Some foods high in Vitamin C: Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemon, Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Strawberries, Raspberries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach, Kale, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Sweet potatoes

Cooking in an iron skillet also helps.

Here are some meat-free sources:
Best Sources of Iron:
Molasses
Raisin bran

Good Sources of Iron:
Raisins
Prunes
Dried apricots
Figs
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Navy beans
Lentils
Split green peas
Enriched cereals
Enriched macaroni
Spinach
Greens
Broccoli
Lima beans
Avocado

Fair Sources of Iron:
Tofu
Sesame seeds
Nuts
Peanut butter
Eggs
Strawberry
Banana
Raspberries
Blueberries
Tomatoes

[angela5]

that old black andwhite stuff is not any good as im pregnant


People who can't take iron tablets by mouth can be given an injection into a muscle instead. It is quite uncomfortable and can stain the skin, but well worth it.

[NLP]

I still have my "Foods high in iron" list

meat; liver, kidney, corned beef and bacon
nuts; almonds, cashew, brazil and walnuts
eggs; especially the yolks
dried fruits; figs, apricots, dates, raisins, currants and prunes
preserves; treacle and syrup
fish; sardines and shrimps
green veg; especially spinach, parsley and cress
pulses; peas, beans and lentils
fresh fruit; especially ripe peaches
flour; wholemeal bread, bran & wheat breakfast cereals
miscellaneous; chocolate, cocoa, oatmeal, bemax, brown sugar and curry powder

hope that helps.

[attidude9464]

Spa tone is great for boosting iron levels. It is a liquid which you take with a little breakfast orange juice daily first thing in the morning. I have used this and recommended it to others who have all agreed itrs great. You can get it in a chemist Hope it works for you. Cheers

[davem]

Don't worry about spinach - it only got the reputation for being iron rich because the person measuring its' level years ago got the decimal point in the wrong place!

[dirdyweeker]

Iron food for me would have to be liver and chocolate................not together I hasten to add. Mind you I believe there was a cookery programme on recently associated with Willie Wonka and it had chocolate sauce served with savoury courses.:)

[karia]

Hi Dadie,

You can purchase kelated iron supplements from good health food stores.

This is in a form readily digested and made available to the body as it comes from natural sources..unlike the dreaded Ferrous sulphate which may well be sourced from iron railings given how much of a wide bearth our systems give it.;)

Good Luck Honey...not long to go!:D

Kx

[Macwull]

my OH took the sachets of spa tone water when she was pregnant she has always had low iron and she really liked it. just one in the morning in some fresh orange. they are a lot better than the iron tablets she was prescribed.

[silverfox57]

I was wondering what is best for upping my iron levels as i got told they were low today.
I find that the ferrous sulphate tablets play havoc with my stomach and was wondering what else out there was better....and yes i do eat red meat, cabbage and broccoli but have a love hate relationship with spinach and drink oj with them to help the absorbtion of the iron apart from cutting down on tea what else can I try?
dadie best advise is ask your doctor,all the best:lol:

[Dadie]

I saw the consultant obs and spoke to the midwives today and got scanned i dont want another person from the medical profession picking and poking at me for a while again.also spoke to the docs receptionist as the consultant said i needed iron tabs..oh and i have the health visitor seeing me tommorrow as I moved catchment area and they havent seen me since i moved (because i dont know where to go for a start).....1 fed up bunny thats why im asking you lot on the org....

[karia]

I saw the consultant obs and spoke to the midwives today and got scanned i dont want another person from the medical profession picking and poking at me for a while again.also spoke to the docs receptionist as the consultant said i needed iron tabs..oh and i have the health visitor seeing me tommorrow as I moved catchment area and they havent seen me since i moved (because i dont know where to go for a start).....1 fed up bunny thats why im asking you lot on the org....

Chin up sunshine!;)

You are in all of our thoughts.

Kariaxx

[Dadie]

oops

sorry

rant over..for now but its not funny getting passed from 1 side of the county to the other in telephone tennis and car trips all day....wick..thurso..wick ..thurso...

[silverfox57]

oops

sorry

rant over..for now but its not funny getting passed from 1 side of the county to the other in telephone tennis and car trips all day....wick..thurso..wick ..thurso...
agree with karia hope all goes well for you. silverfox

[saffy100]

Go to the health food shop in Thurso, they sell something called "Floradix" it has iron and lots of fruit and veg derivitives, vitamin B6 and its a liquid, £8 a bottle which lasts 2 weeks, i use it and its brilliant.

[rfr10]

If you want iron without eating the vegetables, the best thing to do is take iron and vitamin tablets. Multibionta are very good.

[Anji]

that old black andwhite stuff is not any good as im pregnant

I know that pregnant women are advised not to drink alcohol now, but when I was pregnant with my first (admittedly a very long time ago) my health visitor actually recommended a glass of Guinness every night. I followed her advice and gave birth to a very healthy son, who is now 6ft2ins, and, before anyone asks, does not drink Guinness.

[percy toboggan]

I followed her advice and gave birth to a very healthy son, who is now 6ft2ins, and, before anyone asks, does not drink Guinness.

Not yet
...we live and learn.. ;)