Iron Store

[willsie01]

I’ve currently got a depleted iron store post surgery possibly in part due to not getting enough in my new vegan diet. Is there a good reference to the foods I should be introducing? Green stuff is an obvious one of course.

[Hidden]

Hi willsie01

I've had a look online and found this very interesting list:

Fresh vegetables

Find out the amount of iron you can get from just one 80g serving of fresh fruit and vegetables (that’s one of your five-a-day).

Sprouts, boiled

0.4mg

2. Asparagus, boiled

0.5mg

3. Leeks, steamed

0.6mg

4. Beetroot, raw

0.8mg

5. Broccoli, boiled

0.8mg

6. Spinach, steamed

1.4mg

7. Curly kale, steamed

1.6mg

8. Spinach, raw

1.7mg

Canned veg, pulses and beans

Find out the amount of iron you can get from just one 200g serving of the following veg, pulses and beans (one of your five-a-day).

9. Sweetcorn

1mg

10. Peas

1.5mg

11. Baked beans

2.8mg

12. Chickpeas

3mg

Dried Fruits

Find the amount of iron you can get from just one 30g serving of the following dried fruits (one of your five-a-day).

13. Prunes

0.8mg

14. Raisins

1.1mg

15. Figs

1.3mg

16. Apricots

2.7mg

Women need 14.8mg and men 8.7mg a day.

I hope this helps.

Alicia

[Agoodenough in reply to Hidden]

Well done Alicia. That’s a really helpful list 🙂

[Hidden in reply to Agoodenough]

Thank you Ali

[willsie01 in reply to Hidden]

I’ll print this info out and use it till hopefully I know it off by heart

[Hidden in reply to willsie01]

Funnily enough that's what I do with dietary information and then I file it in the front of my Vegan recipe folder.

[Agoodenough]

Spatone liquid iron is something I take every now and then. It’s a good quality iron sachet. I was told I was anaemic a few years before I became vegan. Grouping iron rich foods with vitamin C foods is said to help absorption. Hope this helps. Ali🙂🌱

[Hidden in reply to Agoodenough]

Well done Ali, I forgot about the adding Vitamin C bit, that's what I would do every now and again.

[willsie01 in reply to Agoodenough]

My wife works with a GP who holds a diet clinic. When she heard about my low ferritin she told my wife to get me a spray, which is applied under the tongue so is fast acting . The brand is Better You and is called Iron: Daily Oral Spray. £7.13 on Amazon and supposedly lasts a month. No idea if it's any good but I'm going to give it a try.

[Agoodenough in reply to willsie01]

There used to be a chap on here called benwl and I’m pretty sure if I remember correctly that he used to say the spray was very good and that’s what he recommended. I will look the spray up on amazon 🙂

[willsie01 in reply to Agoodenough]

I've looked up Spatone and it sounds interesting?

Are you able to say it give tangible benefits to you?

[Agoodenough in reply to willsie01]

I’m not sure to be honest. If I ever feel a bit depleted it’s usually as I’ve forgotten to take B12 so I notice if I don’t take that but wouldn’t say I notice any difference If I don’t take iron.

[andyswarbs Volunteer]

I see anemia as a symptom of other gut issues. Solve those and any anemia will go away naturally. Meanwhile add vitC to your meals, every meal. That should help significantly.

[sunny369]

Along with a varied diet and vitamin C, I swear by Floravital, a herbal iron vitamin juice supplement you can buy in health food shops.