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Hemoglobin and iron in a vegetarian diet
Hemoglobin and iron in a vegetarian diet
I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've been
having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing them.
He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
diet.
He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allergic
to fish... so he said that supplementing one's diet with chicken is
another option. I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, and
he said that they don't really get absorbed well... and so I asked him
about taking digestive enzymes, and he said they're pretty expensive and
don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
I'm pretty thin, but I've already lost about 10% of my weight since
switching to a vegetarian diet (over about six months)... and now I'm
having these stomach problems. So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
-Duncan
I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've been
having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing them.
He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
diet.
He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allergic
to fish... so he said that supplementing one's diet with chicken is
another option. I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, and
he said that they don't really get absorbed well... and so I asked him
about taking digestive enzymes, and he said they're pretty expensive and
don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
I'm pretty thin, but I've already lost about 10% of my weight since
switching to a vegetarian diet (over about six months)... and now I'm
having these stomach problems. So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
-Duncan
Re: Hemoglobin and iron in a vegetarian diet
Duncan wrote:
> He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
> diet.
Not necessarily. It is possible to be anemic on an ominvorous
diet and possible to have very good iron status on a vegan
diet. It depends on the constituents.
> He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
No, they don't sound concerned. It sounds more more like he is trying
to justify his decision and he is partially informed but his conclusion
is faulty.
> I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, and
> he said that they don't really get absorbed well...
This can be true. It is probably not a good idea to rely
on supplements for iron for that and other reasons.
> He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
> absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
This is also true, the oxalates in spinach, chard, and beet
greens bind up iron. There are other substances in unrefined
plant foods that can inhibit iron uptake as well.
Concentrate on the low oxalate vegetables for your iron and
limit your low to zero iron foods. You can use the tools at
http :// nutritiondata,com
to help you find the foods highest in iron. Also there is a
USDA webpage on foods highest in oxalic acid, those are some
that you can limit.
> So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
> going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
No, you will have to find another "excuse." My iron status
improved when I quit eating fish (16 years ago), largely
because I was making better food choices: lots of dark leafy
greens, whole grains, beans, other vegetables, nuts, seeds,
and fruit, with very limited refined fats, sweets, junk, and
dairy (which all have low to no iron). I meet or exceeed the
RDA daily. I concentrate on the crucifers and lettuces for
leaves with only sparing use of spinach and chard.
Duncan wrote:
> He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
> diet.
Not necessarily. It is possible to be anemic on an ominvorous
diet and possible to have very good iron status on a vegan
diet. It depends on the constituents.
> He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
No, they don't sound concerned. It sounds more more like he is trying
to justify his decision and he is partially informed but his conclusion
is faulty.
> I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, and
> he said that they don't really get absorbed well...
This can be true. It is probably not a good idea to rely
on supplements for iron for that and other reasons.
> He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
> absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
This is also true, the oxalates in spinach, chard, and beet
greens bind up iron. There are other substances in unrefined
plant foods that can inhibit iron uptake as well.
Concentrate on the low oxalate vegetables for your iron and
limit your low to zero iron foods. You can use the tools at
http :// nutritiondata,com
to help you find the foods highest in iron. Also there is a
USDA webpage on foods highest in oxalic acid, those are some
that you can limit.
> So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
> going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
No, you will have to find another "excuse." My iron status
improved when I quit eating fish (16 years ago), largely
because I was making better food choices: lots of dark leafy
greens, whole grains, beans, other vegetables, nuts, seeds,
and fruit, with very limited refined fats, sweets, junk, and
dairy (which all have low to no iron). I meet or exceeed the
RDA daily. I concentrate on the crucifers and lettuces for
leaves with only sparing use of spinach and chard.
Re: Hemoglobin and iron in a vegetarian diet
According to <news.20.noos@spamgourmet,com >:
>I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've been
>having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing them.
>He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
>diet.
I've never had a problem, neither has my brother. My mum, who eats meat,
has terrible iron problems.
>He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
>but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allergic
Do you get iron in fish? Hmm. Don't remember ever seeing it listed as
a good source.
>don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
>absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
I figured out that the difference between my diet and my mum's is that
she drinks tonnes of coffee (which inhibits iron absorption) and I drink
mostly citrus fruit juice (which aids absorption). Can I suggest you try
drinking a glass or two of orange juice each day if you don't already,
and see if it makes any improvement at all? (of course, not great for
the teeth! Don't drink acidy drinks just before brushing)
--
According to <news.20.noos@spamgourmet,com >:
>I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've been
>having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing them.
>He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
>diet.
I've never had a problem, neither has my brother. My mum, who eats meat,
has terrible iron problems.
>He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
>but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allergic
Do you get iron in fish? Hmm. Don't remember ever seeing it listed as
a good source.
>don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
>absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
I figured out that the difference between my diet and my mum's is that
she drinks tonnes of coffee (which inhibits iron absorption) and I drink
mostly citrus fruit juice (which aids absorption). Can I suggest you try
drinking a glass or two of orange juice each day if you don't already,
and see if it makes any improvement at all? (of course, not great for
the teeth! Don't drink acidy drinks just before brushing)
--
Re: Hemoglobin and iron in a vegetarian diet
Duncan <news.20.noos@spamgourmet,com > kirjoitti Fri, 16 Mar 2007 19:57:1=
0 =
+0200:
> I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've bee=
n
> having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing the=
m.
> He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
> diet.
Uh, what? Nothing in that paragraph makes any sense. A vegetarian diet
wouldn't cause stomach problems (a switch to a vegetarian diet with plen=
ty
of fiber from a low fiber diet could temporarily cause them, but other t=
han
that, no). The lack of iron wouldn't cause stomach problems either. And
it's not difficult to get enough iron from a vegetarian diet. I used
to have a hemoglobin of about 120 years ago when I still ate meat. Now i=
t's
147. These are European units so they're different from the ones used in=
the states, but I'm a woman and the recommended Hg levels for women here=
are between 120 (or 125) and 150. So my hemoglobin is almost too high.
I've been a vegetarian since 1999.
One thing that is important to keep in mind is to always have foods rich=
in vitamin C with foods rich in iron. That really helps the absorption o=
f
non-heme (="vegetarian") iron. Of course all veggies and fruit have
vitamin C, but some (like carrots and apples) have so little that it mig=
ht
not be enough. Also, foods rich in calcium and coffee and tea can hinder=
the absorption of iron, if you eat them at the same time as iron rich
foods.
There are other possible reasons for anaemia than iron deficiency. With
a fully vegetarian diet a vitamin B12 deficiency would be a possibility,=
but it usually takes years before such a deficiency develops. Since ther=
e
are so few vegetarian sources of B12 (yes, there are such sources, but
they're mostly obscure), it's important to take supplements. Many
omnivores would also benefit from them. Studies have shown that many
people eating meat have a B12 deficiency, because it's not absorbed as
well as it was previously thought.
What kind of stomach problems are you having anyway? Have you tried
probiotics already? IBS is a very common malady these days and it's
definitely not caused by a vegetarian diet. However in IBS and many
other gastrointestinal illnesses certain veggies, fruits, legumes and
grains can cause problems on individual basis. But it's important that
you go through the necessary tests to see if there's another
explanation for your stomach ailments (such as dysbiosis, celiac,
Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, lactose intolerance (if you still eat
dairy) or something else). It's hard to even speculate without
specifics.
> He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
> but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allerg=
ic
> to fish... so he said that supplementing one's diet with chicken is
> another option. I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, an=
d
> he said that they don't really get absorbed well... and so I asked him=
> about taking digestive enzymes, and he said they're pretty expensive a=
nd
> don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
> absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
Chicken and fish are quite poor sources of iron in fact. Fatty fish is
a very healthy food (I don't eat it though, like I said I'm vegetarian)
regardless, but if you're allergic to fish, then it's a moot point. And
fish and chicken certainly wouldn't help with the stomach problems. I
don't know enough about digestive enzymes to be able to comment on them.=
It's true that the iron in spinach isn't absorbed as well as the iron
in chicken and fish (though like I said chicken and fish are poor
sources of iron). In fact the iron content in spinach has been vastly
overexaggerated. Apparently spinach used to be a great source of iron,
but the way it has been bred for commercial gain and grown in poor
soils it is no longer a significant source of iron, even though it
does contain decent quantities of it. But there's no problem in
getting enough iron from a vegetarian diet if you eat otherwise
nutritious food and not only eg. white rice and salad - not
suggesting that you do.
> I'm pretty thin, but I've already lost about 10% of my weight since
> switching to a vegetarian diet (over about six months)... and now I'm
> having these stomach problems. So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
> going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
Weight loss with stomach problems sounds like something potentially
nasty. It could be celiac, it could be cancer, or it could be just that
you're eating something your stomach/gut doesn't fancy, and that you
aren't getting enough calories. Chicken isn't going to change that.
So, go through the necessary medical tests to overrule any serious
illnesses and then experiment to see if there are any foods that cause
or worsen your stomach problems. And to compensate for the weight
loss, try to eat food higher in calories. Remember that fat isn't
bad for you if it's good fat, coming from real food and not cakes,
candy and junk food. Eg. avocado, nuts and seeds are tasty, fairly
high in calories and very good for you.
Also, if you experience gas and bloating, you could try dimethicone/
simethicone tablets or drops. It's essentially silicone which isn't
absorbed from the gut, but it changes the surface tension of the
contents of your stomach so that you won't have the colic like
pains. Very cheap and no side effects. But again I repeat myself,
go through a full evaluation first. It would be silly to medicate
against gas if it was all caused by eg. having lactose intolerance
and eating dairy.
-- =
%. /) That's why I didn't kill myself sooner, the pressure
`%-('`. / ) of spelling mistakes. -"5 Suicide Notes" by Saracen Tate
`\ \ `'/ Maija Haavisto * DiamonDie @ IRCnet&Undernet
`. .'mh http :// www .angelfire,com /mn/Maija/
Duncan <news.20.noos@spamgourmet,com > kirjoitti Fri, 16 Mar 2007 19:57:1=
0 =
+0200:
> I just went to a gastroentorologist for some stomach problems i've bee=
n
> having lately, and he said that a vegetarian diet might be causing the=
m.
> He said it's hard to get enough hemoglobin and iron with a vegetarian
> diet.
Uh, what? Nothing in that paragraph makes any sense. A vegetarian diet
wouldn't cause stomach problems (a switch to a vegetarian diet with plen=
ty
of fiber from a low fiber diet could temporarily cause them, but other t=
han
that, no). The lack of iron wouldn't cause stomach problems either. And
it's not difficult to get enough iron from a vegetarian diet. I used
to have a hemoglobin of about 120 years ago when I still ate meat. Now i=
t's
147. These are European units so they're different from the ones used in=
the states, but I'm a woman and the recommended Hg levels for women here=
are between 120 (or 125) and 150. So my hemoglobin is almost too high.
I've been a vegetarian since 1999.
One thing that is important to keep in mind is to always have foods rich=
in vitamin C with foods rich in iron. That really helps the absorption o=
f
non-heme (="vegetarian") iron. Of course all veggies and fruit have
vitamin C, but some (like carrots and apples) have so little that it mig=
ht
not be enough. Also, foods rich in calcium and coffee and tea can hinder=
the absorption of iron, if you eat them at the same time as iron rich
foods.
There are other possible reasons for anaemia than iron deficiency. With
a fully vegetarian diet a vitamin B12 deficiency would be a possibility,=
but it usually takes years before such a deficiency develops. Since ther=
e
are so few vegetarian sources of B12 (yes, there are such sources, but
they're mostly obscure), it's important to take supplements. Many
omnivores would also benefit from them. Studies have shown that many
people eating meat have a B12 deficiency, because it's not absorbed as
well as it was previously thought.
What kind of stomach problems are you having anyway? Have you tried
probiotics already? IBS is a very common malady these days and it's
definitely not caused by a vegetarian diet. However in IBS and many
other gastrointestinal illnesses certain veggies, fruits, legumes and
grains can cause problems on individual basis. But it's important that
you go through the necessary tests to see if there's another
explanation for your stomach ailments (such as dysbiosis, celiac,
Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, lactose intolerance (if you still eat
dairy) or something else). It's hard to even speculate without
specifics.
> He said he and his wife are both very concerned about animal welfare,
> but that he supplements his own vegetarian diet with fish. I'm allerg=
ic
> to fish... so he said that supplementing one's diet with chicken is
> another option. I asked him about hemoglobin and iron supplements, an=
d
> he said that they don't really get absorbed well... and so I asked him=
> about taking digestive enzymes, and he said they're pretty expensive a=
nd
> don't really work. He also said that iron from spinach doesn't get
> absorbed very well compared to what's in chicken and fish.
Chicken and fish are quite poor sources of iron in fact. Fatty fish is
a very healthy food (I don't eat it though, like I said I'm vegetarian)
regardless, but if you're allergic to fish, then it's a moot point. And
fish and chicken certainly wouldn't help with the stomach problems. I
don't know enough about digestive enzymes to be able to comment on them.=
It's true that the iron in spinach isn't absorbed as well as the iron
in chicken and fish (though like I said chicken and fish are poor
sources of iron). In fact the iron content in spinach has been vastly
overexaggerated. Apparently spinach used to be a great source of iron,
but the way it has been bred for commercial gain and grown in poor
soils it is no longer a significant source of iron, even though it
does contain decent quantities of it. But there's no problem in
getting enough iron from a vegetarian diet if you eat otherwise
nutritious food and not only eg. white rice and salad - not
suggesting that you do.
> I'm pretty thin, but I've already lost about 10% of my weight since
> switching to a vegetarian diet (over about six months)... and now I'm
> having these stomach problems. So if my diet is the cause of it I'm
> going to have to seriously consider eating chicken again.
Weight loss with stomach problems sounds like something potentially
nasty. It could be celiac, it could be cancer, or it could be just that
you're eating something your stomach/gut doesn't fancy, and that you
aren't getting enough calories. Chicken isn't going to change that.
So, go through the necessary medical tests to overrule any serious
illnesses and then experiment to see if there are any foods that cause
or worsen your stomach problems. And to compensate for the weight
loss, try to eat food higher in calories. Remember that fat isn't
bad for you if it's good fat, coming from real food and not cakes,
candy and junk food. Eg. avocado, nuts and seeds are tasty, fairly
high in calories and very good for you.
Also, if you experience gas and bloating, you could try dimethicone/
simethicone tablets or drops. It's essentially silicone which isn't
absorbed from the gut, but it changes the surface tension of the
contents of your stomach so that you won't have the colic like
pains. Very cheap and no side effects. But again I repeat myself,
go through a full evaluation first. It would be silly to medicate
against gas if it was all caused by eg. having lactose intolerance
and eating dairy.
-- =
%. /) That's why I didn't kill myself sooner, the pressure
`%-('`. / ) of spelling mistakes. -"5 Suicide Notes" by Saracen Tate
`\ \ `'/ Maija Haavisto * DiamonDie @ IRCnet&Undernet
`. .'mh http :// www .angelfire,com /mn/Maija/
