iron supplement!
Posted by scratch on Oct 01, 2006 · Member since Jun 2006 · 9 posts
alright, so i'm losing hair like crazy, and i've decided that an iron supplement is the way to go. would anybody know by chance if most iron supplements are vegan-friendly, or if they are typically are animal-derived? t'would be very helpful to know. thanks tons!
i know some of them have gelatin. There are diff forms of iron as well... ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate... but dont know what they are derived from. Let us know if you find any info.
thanks
Don't forget vitamin 'C', which is required to absort iron. (This point was made in a second post recently.) Consider the book:
The Nutrition Desk Reference by Robert H. Garrison, Jr and Elizabeth
Somer. Published by Keats Publishing, New Canaan Connecticut.
ISBN 0-87983-488-9
for lots of good information about nutrition, where you are a
veggie or not.
Don't take this as total truth... but... I was told to start eating pomegranate because it was high in iron.
EasyIron by Platinum Naturals (www.platinumnaturals.com/Platinum%20WEB/products/iron1.htm) does not contain any animal products. The capsule is made from vegetable cellulose. It contains Ferrochel - a better absorbing, non-constipating form of iron, methylcobalamin - a better utilized form of B12, and folic acid, and is suspended in cold-pressed olive oil for improved absorption and stability.
On a related note, your hair loss might also be a sign of low thyroid function. The symptoms can be similar to anemia, fatigue and lethargy for example. I have both - iron deficiency and hypothyroidism.
Good luck and feel better soon! :)
I have a lot of experience with anemia. During one of my pregnancies I was being prescribed 2 ferrous sulfates 4 times a day! I still wasn't getting better. I had to meet with a dietitian who told me the best food for difficulties with absorption of iron is watermelon. It may not have quite as much iron as spinach, but it's so much easier to eat a lot of (hard to get too much watermelon--just keep eating and eating), and it already has the vitamin C built right in! The high water content also helps your digestive system to use it. It may not be that you're not getting enough, you may be having difficulty absorbing it, that was my problem. Also recommended was that I drink lemonade (made with real lemons) at every meal. OJ that hasn't been freshly squeezed, though the vitamin C is present, the C is considered damaged, so you'll get more C from a fresher citrus.
Another way to get elemental iron is to us cast iron cooking pots and skillets. If you do this, you don't want to cook tomatoes or anything acid in them because the food will discolor.
There is some debate about iron pots not giving the same iron as supplements or food, but it is all iron and really doesn't make a difference, other than what you prefer and/or can tolerate.
There is a vegan product out there and is a liquid iron supplement. I can't remember the name, but it is all vegetable and fruit derived, tastes nice and is easily absorbed. It comes from Europe and is in a bright box with a brown bottle inside. At a good HFS they should be able to tell you what that is! I have used it during my pregnancies and it would "cure" anemia rather quickly without the intestinal problems of supplements. You'll find that taking iron pills tend to make one either very constipated or give one profound diarrhea. Many people have upset stomach as well.
If you are losing hair, it could be B vitamins and I'd be researching what is the proper thing to do for this. I took some medication for about 9 months that caused my hair to fall out and my nails to stop growing as well. It took 6 months before my hair and nails started to grow again (they are well out of control now) and I am losing hair like mad, but it is replacing itself faster than I am losing it. Stress will do it, as well as recent childbirth. Make sure your shampoo doesn't contain formalin which is formaldehide. It can do a real number on your scalp and hair growth.
Keep us posted on how you do.
Another way to get elemental iron is to us cast iron cooking pots and skillets. If you do this, you don't want to cook tomatoes or anything acid in them because the food will discolor.
I cook acidic food in my cast iron cookware all the time and rarely get any discoloration. If I do, it isn't serious discoloration (I just made tomato soup in my cast iron yesterday and didn't notice any problems). Actually, cooking acidic food in cast iron is the best way to take advantage of the iron in the cookware (which is why there may be discoloration--the iron is getting in the food). Acidic foods are able to absorb the most iron. You just need to season the pan well if you cook acidic foods in them and clean the pan as soon as you are done cooking acidic food as acidic foods can strip the seasoning (this is why most people recommend not cooking acidic foods in cast iron). Here is an article about getting dietary iron from cast-iron cooking:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/IronCastIron.htm
Another article (on vegfamily) that mentions acidic foods in cast iron: http://www.vegfamily.com/health/boost-iron-intake.htm Here is the quote so you don't have to search through the whole article to find it:
"Another classic method to increase iron from non-heme sources is to cook food in iron pots and skillets. Additional iron is leeched to the food from iron cookware. Schupp states that cooking acidic foods in cast iron pots can increase iron content up to 30 times."
boy, now i feel all left out.
i specifically came here to do my "just cook in a cast iron pan" and "remember, iron absorption is linked with vitamin c consumption at the same meal" rants--but you 2 beat me to the punch!
this product is called Floradix.
I use Iron Complex Vegetarian by NOW. I found this product at local natural food store, and I like it because it has vitamin C and B12. Especially Vitamin C is important for absorbtion of iron, so I guess this one was the way to go. Well... at least for me.
http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=2993
After I started taking it, I feel my body warmer than before. Ever since I was a child, I always suffer from anemia :'(, so it was sort of funny for me that this pill could solve this long term health condition.
But I do know that using iron cookwear is the best way. I am just to lazy taking care of iron pan... Maybe, next time I need to buy cookwear, I may buy the one made of iron.