Iron

For four years I was a vegetarian. I had a good diet, healthy life style (no smoking tsk tsk) but I still started to see the signs of an iron deficiency. My doctor recommended taking a supplement to replace what I wasn't able to get without sticking red meat down my throat. To Holland and Barrett I skipped… --Why would you take it-- The only reason you would need to take an iron supplement is because you are not getting it into your diet. Now this doesn't mean going by the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), because even though it is a guideline it is also old and based on the average person. If you have a demanding lifestyle then you will need more than ...  Read the complete review

The human body requires all forms of vitamins and minerals in order for it to function properly and to its fullest potential. Many of us unknowingly suffer from deficiencies of some of these important vitamins and minerals. As with the case of Iron the symptoms of deficiencies are; tiredness, fatigue and general lack of stamina. These are the initial symptoms and later if the intake is not corrected symptoms of deficiency include; breathlessness, giddiness, headaches, dim vision, insomnia, loss of appetite, indigestion, restless legs and tingling fingers and toes. Iron is required by the body to make haemoglobin and therefore lack of iron ...  Read the complete review

Despite being desperately anaemic I found that I could not tolerate the iron given to my by my doctor. It gave me unbearable constipation and severe gastritis - and contributed to the development of a stomach ulcer! I thus had to stop taking the iron. I tried various forms of iron and all gave me problems - except for Spatone Iron+ which is a natural mineral water in sachets. One is to be taken each day but I found that even with this, due to the gastritis, I had to begin by taking just a teaspoonful and build up. Now I take about half a sachet a day and my anaemia is slowly resolving. ...  Read the complete review

The best food sources of easily absorbed iron are animal products. Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements are harder for the body to absorb. If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption. Some foods decrease iron absorption. Commercial black or pekoe teas contain substances that bind to iron so it cannot be used by the body. The evaluation of absorbable iron in a food is a more accurate way to calculate iron available to the body than by simply recording the total iron content. ...  Read the complete review

Iron Iron is a mineral .an important component of haemoglobin. Haemaglobin transports oxygen around the bodyAn iron deficiency causes anaemia . Several times when I have gone to give blood I have been rejected because my iron levels are not high enough, I usually find this happens when I have a period. It is important for a pregnant woman to have a good iron supply usually iron tablets are prescribed So I usually take a multi vitamin + iron around this time to give my body a boost. Iron is found naturally in foods. The best source red meat and liver. Although vegetarians may have low iron levels, Iron is also found in eggs, wholegrain cereals ...  Read the complete review