Am I getting enough iron?

Question

I have been officially a vegetarian since the beginning of July but have spent two years learning about the diet and eating less than 200g of meat per week on average (usually, I ate meat when I was outside). My diet was unbalanced at first, but it didn't have any impact on my health.

I probably didn't get enough iron at the time since the only meat I would eat was occasional ham, extremely cooked red meat, chicken and fish (which aren't a great source of iron and cooking turn haem iron into non-haem iron).

Right now, I've noticed that my gums were very pale... when looking at them with a bright light (I've taken a picture of them with my camera and they look normal pink I guess) so I've been wondering about iron deficiency (I must admit that my mother tends to freak me out about my diet).

I eat lentils or bean (which I left in the water for at least 20hours before cooking them) at least once per day, 4 to 6 eggs per week, eat brocoli and make sure I have a source of vitamin C during my meals.

I also take B12 supplements just in case and avoid dairies during the meal.

I also take fortified breakfast cereals (iron & vitamins) and quinoa occasionally.

Should I worry?

Answer 1

Firstly the above info whilst correct doesn't take into account the availability of iron in plant sources, plant iron is inhibited by plant chemicals like tannins/phytic acids/oxalates & calciums in food (which is why spinach is considered a void iron source despite being high in iron)

You'd want to slash the values given above by dividing them by about 6-10 estimate.



Secondly pale gums will not determine if your overall health or oral health is bad nor will it tell you directly what you are deficient in, see a dentist or doctor who can further assess this & is qualified to do so.

Thirdly if you are feeling like you are deficient you can take a supplement or up your intake of plant iron sources. If that is not enough get blood work done for peace of mind & to know for sure. Be sure you are getting enough zinc/B12 which play a role in iron absorption & utilisation too.

Answer 2

I used to have a similar difficulty a mutually as in the past (however i'm no longer vegan or vegetarian, so bear with me). What I did became thoroughly replace my food recurring and do exercising a minimum of two times a week, fantastically cardio exercising. That probably helped the main. The vegetables that comprise the main iron are crimson kidney beans, black-eyed peas, chick peas (in case you do unlike them as they are, try some hummus), brussell sprouts, broccoli, spinach and different darkish vegetables (no longer lettuce), potatoes, finished-grain cereals, watermelon, raisins. Combining those with diet-c-wealthy end result and such will help much extra. you additionally can take iron supplement pills, perhaps 0.5 in step with day (because of the fact if your physique isn't used to soaking up plenty, taking the finished pill could be a waste).

Answer 3

It doesn't sound like it from food, but it's hard to say. It doesn't hurt to check, but it doesn't sound like you're badly deficient. Tomato sauce/paste is a great source, and is also rich in vitamin C. Cauliflower isn't bad either.





Cashew nuts 2 tbsp 1.0



Pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp 2.5



Tahini/Sesame seeds 2 tbsp 1.2



Sunflower seeds 2 tbsp 1.1



Molasses 1 tbsp 3.3



Licorice 50 g 4.4



Marmite (fortified) 5 g 1.8



Apricots (dried) 1/4 cup 1.5



Raisins 1/4 cup 1.1



Avocado 1/2 1.0



Prunes 1/4 cup 0.9



Kelp (cooked) 1/2 cup 42.0



Nori (cooked) 1/2 cup 20.9



Parsley (raw) 50 g 4.7



Potato, with skin (cooked) 1 medium 2.7



Spinach (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.5



Broccoli (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.0



Brussels sprouts (cooked) 1/2 cup 0.9



Some breakfast cereals (fortified) 100 g 10 (approx)



Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) (cooked) 1/2 cup 2.0



Barley, whole (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.6



Wheat germ 2 tbsp 1.2



Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 0.9



Rice, brown (cooked) 1/2 cup 0.5



Tofu 1/2 cup 6.2



Soybeans (cooked) 1/2 cup 4.4



Garbanzo beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 3.4



Lentils (cooked) 1/2 cup 3.2



Navy beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 2.5



Pinto beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 2.2



Lima beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 2.2



Tempeh (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.8



Split peas (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.7



Kidney beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.5



Peas (cooked) 1/2 cup 1.2



Baked beans (cooked) 1/2 cup 0.7



http://www.vegetarianvictoria.org.au/healthy-living/complete-nutrient-summary.html Complete Nutrient Summary. So it depends on what you eat in a day. Also, you didn't say if you eat dairy or not. If you eat dairy it's high in animal calcium which interferes with the absorption of iron, even heme iron. So avoiding dairy during the meal is one thing, but sadly, you need to wait 6-8 hours. It would be easier to ditch the dairy, but if you're taking iron pills and a lot of fortified foods you should be OK.



https://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR24/nutrlist/sr24w303.pdf database and iron content from the USDA. has a LOT of food in the list that they've measured.



Also, make sure you're ONLY getting enough zinc. Zinc will prevent iron being absorbed, so be careful not to have a huge amount at a time like a full cup of nuts or a supplement because that will prevent iron being absorbed. Plant based iron is more highly absorbed when your levels are lower, when you have enough in your stores, it'll no longer be absorbed and that's the role which oxalates etc play in your body - they are there to regulate your iron stores.

Answer 4

Yes.

Answer 5

Do you wear shoes to bed? If you don't then there is no need to worry.