Many women's bodies are low in iron, despite eating an iron rich diet. Iron sources include: Spinach, red meat, tofu, chickpeas, oats, shellfish, liver, quinoa, eggs, prunes & beans.
IRON DEFICIENCY - symptoms
Iron deficiency can occur through diet inadequacy, gut imbalance, mineral imbalance and also blood loss.
It can cause lethargy, trouble focussing, tiredness, dizzy, pale, strange cravings for things like dirt & clay, restless legs, depression, poor circulation - cold hands and feet.
(Note: If you have any of these symptoms, check in with your health professional. It may be anemia, low iron, lack of B12, or a range of other possible health issues - a blood test is a good idea to determine levels of minerals in the body)
HIGH IRON
Some people can also have iron levels which are too high. This happened to my husband some years ago. He wasn't eating loads of meat, but his body absorbed iron easily and it was included in the weetbix he was eating, which was fortified with various minerals including iron.
Your body can also have too much stored iron, however lack the mechanisms to release and utilise iron. This can happen if there is nutrient deficiency, mineral imbalance or unbalanced gut bacteria.
If your iron levels are out of whack, read on...
Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from iron-rich foods.
A client last year had really high iron levels. She was taking vitamin C before I met her. After removing the vitamin C supplements, her iron levels returned to normal.
She still included fruit & veg plus fish and a little meat.
Too much free iron in the body can cause oxidative stress - cell and organ damage.
There are 2 main types of iron in food:
1. Non haem iron: Leafy greens, legumes, quinoa
2. Haem iron: Meat, fish, eggs
Our bodies can absorb iron more easily from food sources containing haem iron.
Vegetarians need to consume more iron rich foods, to allow for this.
It's worth noting that legumes and leafy greens contain powerful nutrients to keep us healthy, so even if you eat meat - eat legumes and plenty of leafy greens too!
Things which affect the absorption of iron into our bodies.
VITAMIN C- helps iron absorption
Vitamin C will help absorb iron into the body. Plenty of vitamin c rich fruits such as orange, kiwi, capsicum, tomatoes, berries and mangos will ensure iron uptake and also provide many other health benefits, such as antioxidants, to keep your body's cells healthy.
A man I know, who ate plenty of meat, had high iron. After relaying to his doctor that he was eating lots of oranges fresh from his tree, he reduced the amount of oranges and the iron levels returned to normal.
CAFFEINE inhibits iron uptake:
I love my morning coffee, as do many people. Did you know that
caffeine inhibits iron absorption? Especially from of non-haem iron such as leafy greens, legumes and some grains, like quinoa. Simply keep your coffee to one time of the day. Remember, caffeine lasts in the body for around 10 hours! Avoid caffeine when consuming your iron-rich foods. Waiting just a couple of hours after drinking coffee, before consuming your iron-rich plant foods, should make a difference and allow the nutrients your eat to be absorbed properly.
TOO MUCH BRAN
Too much bran may hinder iron absorption.
Personally, I don't eat bran and source most of my fibre from vegetables, oats, nuts, seeds and quinoa.
DAIRY
Too much dairy may affect iron absorption, however mixing up how you combine your foods will sort this out. It's complex, since pairing leafy greens and cheese is a beneficial combo for balancing calcium absorption.
If your iron is low it could be time to review how much dairy you eat. Dairy provides essential nutrients such as protein, calcium and vitamin A, however balance is important.
CALCIUM
Calcium from both haem and non-haem iron can affect iron absorption.
Taking calcium supplements may affect iron absorption.
The body is clever, consume a varied diet and build a robust gut microbiome, and your body will work how and which minerals to absorb and store.
Calcium sources include leafy greens, almonds and dairy.
Aim to have a balanced diet, which includes plenty of plants. This will enable the synergy between foods to occur.
SYNERGY IN FOOD
Nature is telling us to eat a variety of whole-foods. Australian Aborigines used to use around 5000 plants, the modern Aussie uses around 30 at best!
Mixing up food combinations, allows the ebb and flow of nutrients. This enables your body to work out when, and how much of each nutrient to absorb. Vitamins and minerals in food work with gut microbes and enzymes in the body to ensure the right nutrient balance is maintained. This is synergy in food.
Note: Vitamin C is mostly destroyed when cooked or heated. Something to be aware of when cooking vitamin C rich foods which are typically cooked, such as broccoli and Brussel's sprouts.
It will also start to deplete when a fruit is chopped or stored too long- so aim to eat your fruit fresh and soon after preparing. There will still be plenty of nutrients in these cooked foods, just remember to add some fresh fruit too.
Choose your iron rich source,
and surround it with plants:-
Iron sources:
Haem-iron, from meat, is more easily absorbed and not so affected by caffeine.
Calcium however blocks absorption of iron from both meat and vegetables.
Dairy forms a large part of the Australian diet, so there could be many women out there, who are iron deficient, simply because they are eating the wrong combination of food or too much dairy. The good news is, that Vitamin C assists with iron absorption and negates the effects of eating iron rich foods with calcium or caffeine. So meat + plant foods is potentially a better combo than meat + dairy.
How to increase your iron absorption:
Wait at least one hour after a meal before having coffee or tea
Reduce your daily caffeine
Consume a nutrient dense diet, rich in plant foods and low in refined foods (eg: white flour, white pasta, white bread, sugar, store-bought baked goods and processed foods)
Add vitamin C rich food to meals to enhance iron absorption
Include some of the following foods daily and avoid always consuming with dairy: Eggs, tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, lentils, meat, eggs, spinach, leafy green veg, oats, nuts & seeds. Remember to mix it up!
Eat dairy sources of calcium at varied times, not at every meal. Calcium is stored in the body, so we don't need it all the time.
Consume dairy products with leafy greens for balanced calcium absorption.
Eat plenty of quality fibre foods, to feed the good gut bacteria: Vegetables, fruits like mango & orange, organic brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, other root veggies, brassicas
Nurture gut health. Gut health is KEY! and you will notice that it comes up in all my consultations and nearly everything I write. A range of healthy gut bacteria will help ensure that the body can absorb nutrients properly.
In a nutshell:
Build a healthy gut microbiome
Reduce coffee
Vary intake of calcium, from a variety of sources
Increase high vitamin C fruit & veggies
My iron story... I have been a vegetarian for 30 years. For the first 8 years, I was fine. Later, I struggled with low iron after having children. 22 years ago, around the time of having children the doctor advised me that my iron was low, but didn't explain how to increase it or what low-iron symptoms were. She suggested a supplement.
I didn't really understand the impact of low iron and didn't believe in supplements. This was before we had internet access, so I couldn't just google it! I struggled for years, sometimes experiencing periodic vagueness, inability to think clearly and poor emotional resilience. (I exercised though, which probably helped me cope).
I attempted to improve my iron levels with food and eventually concluded that iron supplements (along with zinc & B12 ) were needed. I had believed that my diet was healthy and there was nothing more I could eat to improve iron levels. I started taking FAB (iron & B) supplements, which worked well. I felt much better, however, felt irked that I hadn't investigated what low iron would mean to me and what more I could be doing to increase it. I also struggled with the amounts to take which led to some stomach issues. Relying on supplements didn't feel right. My daily diet 20 years ago typically included the following: cereal (+ nuts & fruit occasionally), eggs+toast, a cheese and lettuce sandwich on wholemeal bread, a piece of fruit, crackers and cheese , plus a spinach quiche or pasta with salad or peas. Snacks included natural yoghurt & was getting into kombucha, so thought it was healthy diet. My iron was still low...
Also included were 2-3 coffees & 5 cups of tea... There was room for improvement!
Now my diet includes almost no wheat and no "empty" foods (foods which lack nutrient value, such as white bread and baked goods). I eat plenty of iron rich foods, paired with vitamin C foods. Including more legumes, especially chick peas, tofu and black beans has helped. I also consume more gut health -boosting foods, such as sauerkraut for probiotics and asparagus for prebiotics. I limit the coffee to one each morning. Including more green veg throughout the day and adding the odd green smoothie have helped.
This was many years ago. Surprisingly, I found that gradually altering my diet was easy. Adding more veggies, leafy greens, salads, nuts, legumes, seeds and combining meals with vitamin C and herbal teas has led to increased, sustained energy, more emotional resilience, stronger nails and a significant reduction in the supplements.
Only 2-4 iron & B supplements are needed per month now, instead of around 20 a month! Awareness of how to increase nutrients has made a huge difference to my health and wellness, including mental health and resilience. Less wheat, no pasta, less caffeine, more vegetables, more soaked/fermented foods and more legumes, nuts & seeds, including eggs & cheese. Nutrient dense foods have become the base of snacks.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, staying well-nourished is essential. Here's a tip:
Taking a box of chopped up veg, fruit & nuts in the car decreases the desire to seek out "empty" snacks as soon as you arrive.
I have now mostly achieved a healthy balanced diet, although hit with new health issues due to menopause - WAH - more on menopause health later!
I generally feel fabulous, with better, slow release energy and less cravings for nutritionally empty snacks.
A note on vegetarian diets:
It's important to pack in the nutrients.
I have been a vegetarian for a long time. I didn't eat fish for 10 years, but now occasionally have some. I often encourage clients to consume small amounts of quality, pasture-raised foods from animal sources if they fancy it. (depending on their health history) and stay open minded.
If you vehemently state that you're now a vegan, it's harder to reintroduce meat, cheese or eggs without feeling judged.
Research shows a balanced diet is key to good health.
Supplements - Food for thought... Many food combinations exist, which can help or hinder a person from reaping all the nutritional benefits from the food they are eating. Taking supplements or consuming too much of a particular food can actually be detrimental to nutrient balance and cause health issue.
A balanced, varied diet with only adding targeted supplements when necessary, will help your body function optimally.
I'll blog more on this later, along with info on oxalates, lectins, phytates and more!
Eat Well & Be Well everyone. Look after your one amazing body.
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Love Laura xx
Really interesting stuff Laura. I am also a long time vegetarian but from time to time I just know my body needs a little red meat so I will have a small serving.