Vegetarians or partial vegetarians...how do you deal with anemia

[Aurora63]

I had not eaten beef in over a year, that is, until yesterday, when my dr. told me I am anemic! (I went out and got a burger)

I gave up beef because I felt it was healthier not to eat red meat...ironically, in trying to be healthier, I lost out on something I need to be healthy (namely, iron!)

The dr gave me what appears to be a very good iron supplement, it includes vitamin c to help with the absorption, and then we will recheck the levels in a month and go from there. If it is all well, then it was simply iron deficiency. It's not B12...those levels were fine.

So anyway, what do you vegetarians and vegans (or those of you who still eat meat occasionally but not much) do to stay healthy and not get anemic? Are supplements enough?

 

[sonnyjane]

I had not eaten beef in over a year, that is, until yesterday, when my dr. told me I am anemic! (I went out and got a burger)

I gave up beef because I felt it was healthier not to eat red meat...ironically, in trying to be healthier, I lost out on something I need to be healthy (namely, iron!)

The dr gave me what appears to be a very good iron supplement, it includes vitamin c to help with the absorption, and then we will recheck the levels in a month and go from there. If it is all well, then it was simply iron deficiency. It's not B12...those levels were fine.

So anyway, what do you vegetarians and vegans (or those of you who still eat meat occasionally but not much) do to stay healthy and not get anemic? Are supplements enough?

SUPER good timing because I JUST looked into this. I have only been a vegetarian for a little more than 3 months but I was already leading toward anemia when I ate meat so I was concerned.

Dried apricots, raisins, prunes are really good. Soy beans good. Spinach of course. Actually here's a list I just googled:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-top-vegan-iron-sources.html

ETA: Since your doctor gave you the supplements, obviously keep taking them, but my doctor wanted me to try to get there with food first before taking supplements so I don't know anything about their efficacy. I'm supposed to be getting 18mg per day as a woman my age.

 

[cassandrap83]

I eat a single serving of Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal every morning with OJ or Apple Juice.


I am not vegetarian, but the cereal is delicious and provides me with most of my daily supply of iron.

 

[Aurora63]

ETA: Since your doctor gave you the supplements, obviously keep taking them, but my doctor wanted me to try to get there with food first before taking supplements. I'm supposed to be getting 18mg per day as a woman my age.

Thats how I generally feel about supplements...they are ok for back-up, but we should be getting as much of our nutrition as possible from food.

Thanks for the link, off to check it out!

 

[minkydog]

It is very difficult to get enough iron from a vegetarian or vegan diet. Even though beans and peanut butter and such have iron, they are not a huge source like meat is. And now that you're behind the 8 ball, supplements are pretty much the only way you're going to get back on top.

My DD21 has been vegetarian since she was 14. She became very anemic around age 16 and had to go on iron supplements. She also elected to eat some chicken and fish during that time. It took about 9 months to get her stabilized. DD no longer eats meat, and only rarely eats fish now, but she still takes her iron supp. and her blood counts are fine.

 

[mombrontrent]

Ironically I was anemic as a young teenager before I went vegetarian but have been fine in the 17 years since I am now vegan and the only supplement I take is B12. My blood work always comes out fine I eat a lot of cereal, legumes and dark leafy greens which tend to be high in iron.

 

[keiraliz]

I've been a vegetarian my entire life, and I've never been anemic. I never needed to take supplements either, although I have chosen to take multivitamins recently.

Fruits and vegetables are big at my house. We love them and hate going a day without eating them. Even when we go out to eat, we make sure we can get a salad and a side of a vegetable (usually steamed broccoli). We also eat whole grains (although a couple of us are sensitive to gluten), legumes, nuts, eggs, tofu, and dairy products.

The Red Cross also has a list of suggestions to get your iron from food: http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods. This website also has good information for vegetarians/vegans: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php.

 

[Tinkermommy]

I have heard that by cooking in cast irons pans and skillets you can get iron. just google for more info.

I love cooking with cast iron so that may be another way to boost your intake.

 

[WDWBarb]

Ironically I was anemic as a young teenager before I went vegetarian but have been fine in the 17 years since I am now vegan and the only supplement I take is B12. My blood work always comes out fine I eat a lot of cereal, legumes and dark leafy greens which tend to be high in iron.

This is me. I was always anemic until I became a vegetarian. I then started eating much healthier and I haven't had a problem since. My doctor has commented several times about how great my iron levels are for a vegetarian.

There is lots of iron readily available in plant foods. Combining plant sources of iron with vitamin C helps your body to absorb it that much better. Broccoli, for example, is high in both.

In my 26 years of being a vegetarian, I've never been anemic, not even during pregnancy. I became a vegan 6 months ago and just got back my best bloodwork ever.

The only supplement vegetarians/vegans really need to worry about is B12. It is only found (today) in animal products so vegetarians may get some dietary B12 but vegans get none. B12 deficiency can have serious consequences. So a supplement is necessary.

 

[sonnyjane]

The only supplement vegetarians/vegans really need to worry about is B12. It is only found (today) in animal products so vegetarians may get some dietary B12 but vegans get none. B12 deficiency can have serious consequences. So a supplement is necessary.

Thanks for this info!

 

[mombrontrent]

A vegan can get some B12 in their diet if they eat certain foods. Most vegans know their way around nutritional yeast which is a source of B12. It is also added to most soy-based "meat alternatives". We eat veggie burgers and my DD's like the occasional veggie hot dog, veggie bacon ect. all which have added B12. I do make sure we take a B12 supplement a couple times a week though.

 

[WDWBarb]

A vegan can get some B12 in their diet if they eat certain foods. Most vegans know their way around nutritional yeast which is a source of B12. It is also added to most soy-based "meat alternatives". We eat veggie burgers and my DD's like the occasional veggie hot dog, veggie bacon ect. all which have added B12. I do make sure we take a B12 supplement a couple times a week though.

A supplement is a good idea. I'm waiting on test results right now to see if a B12 deficiency (something they don't routinely test for) is causing a weird problem I have with strange sensations in my legs and hands (they feel like small electrical shocks). That may not be the cause but it is one if the symptoms of a D deficiency. There are foods with added B12, but since I'm a plant-based vegan, I'm not eating any. I've tried nutritional yeast, but I'm not a huge fan. I occasionally sprinkle it on my veggies. But I take a vegan B12 supplement now to be sure. I will get my results Monday.

B12 is made by bacteria that exist in our guts. However, in our modern society, we clean everything to the point of destroying the healthy bacteria on our food. This is why cow meat supplies B12 when a cow eats only plants. We aren't sanitizing their food. So it's not that a vegan diet is deficient in anything we need to live and be healthy. It's that a modern, urban diet is lacking a wee bit of dirt.

Papaw always told me that people should eat some dirt. He actually was right.

 

[JLKennedy]

I agree with others. As a 1 month vegan, you need to eat soy, and lots of dark greens. Expand your palette and you'll be fine. Iron supplements are frightening because they cause constipation, so please be aware of stomach bloating and tenderness...it is a HUGE side effect of iron pills.

 

[ellone]

I agree with others. As a 1 month vegan, you need to eat soy, and lots of dark greens. Expand your palette and you'll be fine. Iron supplements are frightening because they cause constipation, so please be aware of stomach bloating and tenderness...it is a HUGE side effect of iron pills.

A great source of iron that hasn't been mentioned are hemp seeds.

As for B vitamins I think fermented veggies have them (correct me if I'm wrong). I know my kombucha (fermented tea) lists b vitamins on the nutrition label.

 

[Disneychick75]

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/reasons-kale-is-the-new-beef-nutritious-sustainable.html

 

[SunnieRN]

Agree with cast iron for cooking. It works wonders and cooks evenly also!!

 

[karen1987]

A well planned vegan and vegetarian diet will provide you with all the nutrients your body requires, it just requires some thought and preparation.

However, my advice is purely from my own experience, observing others, and plenty of personal research; I stopped eating meat 4 years ago, and in this time I was vegan for ~ 18 months, and I've now been a pescetarian (I eat fish, but not eggs and milk) for the remainder of that time (my change from vegan to fish eating wasn't due to health concerns by the way, this was a personal decision, and a gradual change). Throughout this period, I've had several blood tests and health checks to ensure that my body is getting the nutrients it needs, and every time my results are always tip top.


Some suggestions:

- Leafy dark green vegetables, such as Spinach and Broccoli, are packed with iron and other essential vitamins.

- Foods with soy, such as soy milk, are a great and easy source of iron, especially if you're a cereal eater or coffee/milk drinker!

- Cereals fortified with iron and other essential vitamins.

- Tofu and tempeh (soy based) are delicious and are a very versatile food that can be used in curries, stir fries, and also grilled or baked for burgers.

- Lentils and chickpeas are great, and I often put them into curries and casseroles.

- Orange juice that is fortified with additional vitamins.


If all else fails, taking a multi-vitamin will also provide the right amount of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs, however, I've never 'topped up' my diet with a multi-vitamin, except when I was vegan for B12, as this was the easiest way to ensure I was getting this vitamin.

 

[minkydog]

DD21 has been both strict vegetarian or pescatarian since she was 14. During her teen years she became extremely anemic and was required to take daily iron. She decided to also eat seafood, in an attempt to rectify the situation. She still takes iron as needed in addition to vegetarian proteins.

 

[lauradis]

Are you sure it not your absorption of iron in your diet that is lacking?

http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/anemia.html

 

[WDWBarb]

Are you sure it not your absorption of iron in your diet that is lacking? http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/anemia.html

I was thinking this same thing. The first time in my life that I was not anemic was when I became a vegetarian. Plants are a great source of iron. Now that I'm a vegan I was anxious to see my iron levels and at my last physical, my dr remarked about how great my levels were.