Ironby Jack Norris, RD . If you think your iron stores might be low, you can increase iron absorption by: Adding a source of vitamin C at meals (see Table 2 of good vitamin C sources below). Avoiding tea and coffee at meals. Increasing legume (peanuts, beans, lentils, peas) intake. Cooking foods (especially water based acidic foods like tomato sauce) in cast iron skillets. If your concerns persist, you should have a doctor measure your iron status. If your iron stores are too low, your doctor might suggest eating meat or taking an iron supplement. Anemia in meat- eaters is normally treated with large doses of supplemental iron, not with eating more meat. Similarly, vegetarians with anemia do not need to start eating meat but can also be treated with supplemental iron and vitamin C. If your doctor insists that you eat meat, you might want to show him or her this article. It is important for any vegan with iron deficiency to correct it because during iron deficiency, the body has a tendency to absorb too much manganese. Luckily, vitamin C increases iron absorption but does not increase manganese absorption. Functions of Iron. The major functions of iron are: Energy Production. The majority of iron in the body is involved in energy production. The largest fraction is found in the hemoglobin of red blood cells and is necessary for oxygen transport throughout the body. Switching to a vegan diet? Here's what you need to know before making the change.Iron also serves as part of myoglobin for oxygen supply to muscles. Iron is involved in the electron transport system and is part of an important energy- producing enzyme, NADH dehydrogenase. Immunity. Iron has pro- oxidation properties used by the immune system to destroy bacteria. Required for DNA synthesis. Iron Deficiency. Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U. S. Storage Iron Depletion. Storage iron depletion is typically measured by a serum ferritin (the protein on which iron is stored) of less than 1. When serum ferritin drops below 1. Iron is transferred around the body by the transferrin protein. Elevated total iron binding capacity is a measure of open spots for iron on transferrin molecules and can be used to help diagnose storage iron depletion. Note that ferritin levels can be raised, even in the presence of iron deficiency, in states of inflammation, infection, liver disease, weight gain, significant alcohol consumption, and elevated plasma glucose. Early Functional Deficiency. Early functional iron deficiency is when red blood cell formation starts to become impaired, but not enough to cause a measurable anemia. This is indicated by low serum transferrin saturation, increased erythrocyte protoporphyrin, and/or increased soluble serum transferrin receptor concentration. Vitamin B12 deficiency, a common problem among people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, may have damaging effects on your health. Two studies from Switzerland have shown that iron supplementation can reduce fatigue in premenopausal women (1. The most recent, from 2. This increase in hemoglobin was matched with a 5. Improvements in hemoglobin were seen after 6 weeks. Cognition in adolescent girls (1. Iron Deficiency Anemia. The Centers for Disease Control defines iron deficiency anemia as iron deficiency with a low hemoglobin value, typically less than 1. It is characterized by small red blood cells due to a lack of hemoglobin. Low values for hemoglobin concentration in blood, red blood cell count, hematocrit (the percentage, by volume, of red blood cells in whole blood), low mean corpuscular volume (the size of the average red blood cell), and erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration are all potentially indicative of iron deficiency anemia. Because iron deficiency is not the only cause of anemia, multiple measures of iron status should be taken to determine if an anemia is truly from iron deficiency. Although there are dozens of types of anemia (including anemia caused by low vitamin B1. Symptoms of Iron Deficiency. Many iron deficiency symptoms are related to tissue oxygen deprivation: fatigue, rapid heart rate, palpitations, rapid breathing on exertion, and increased lactic acid production. Anemia symptoms include pale skin, brittle fingernails, koilonychia (spoon- shaped fingernails where the outer edges are raised), weakness, loss of appetite, apathy, hair loss, impaired immunity, angular stomatitis. In iron deficiency, manganese is absorbed instead of iron and vegans have high manganese intakes. The good news is that while phytate decreases both iron and manganese absorption, vitamin C increases only iron absorption. For references and more information, see the Vegan. Health article, Manganese. Table 1. Iron in Plant Foods. Food. Preparation. Servingmg. Broccolichopped, boiled. C0. 5. 2Spinachchopped, boiled. Being a vegan is definitely more of a lifestyle choice and a philosophy than a diet. A vegan does not eat anything that is of animal origin. WebMD explains various vegetarian and vegan diets, along with the nutritional requirements of following these diets. Iron is essential for health and transporting oxygen. A deficiency in iron causes fatigue and decreased immune function. There are two forms of dietary. C3. 2. Kalechopped, boiled. C0. 5. 9Collard greenschopped, boiled. C1. 1. Swiss chardchopped, boiled. C2. Sweet potatobaked, w/skin. C0. 7. Tomatoescooked. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. It can cause reduced work capacity in adults1 and impact motor and mental. Iron Deficiency Anemia: Nutritional Considerations. Dietary iron is available in 2 forms: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is found in animal muscle and blood, whereas. Usually, kids with iron deficiency need to take daily iron supplements to get their iron levels back up. Multivitamins with iron and changes to. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States, and women are among those at greatest risk. Iron is critical for producing. Check out Bramble, the Chocolate Lab from the U.K., who lived to the ripe old age of 27! She became one of the oldest living dogs on record by eating a diet of rice. C0. 8. 2Oatmealcooked. C1. Rice (white, long- grain, unenriched)cooked. C0. 7. Rice (white, long- grain, enriched)cooked. C1. 4. Bread – whole wheat. Tempehcooked. 3 oz. Tofu 3 oz. 0. 8. Soymilk 1 C1. Edamame. 1/2 C1. 8. Kidney beansboiled. C2. 6. Pinto beansboiled. C1. 8. Garbanzo beansboiled. C2. 4. Peas – greenboiled. C1. 2. Lentilsboiled. C3. 3. Hummus. 2 T0. Peanut butter. 2 T0. Tahini. 2 T. 7 - 2. Walnutschopped. 1/4 C0. Almondsroasted. 1/4 C1. Pistachiosdry roasted. C1. 2. Sunflower seedsdry roasted. C1. 2. Dried figsdried, raw. C1. 5. Raisins. 1/2 C1. Grape Nuts. 1/2 C1. Total, whole grain. C8. Molasses. 2 T3. Taken from the USDA National Nutrient. Database or food labels. Iron in Meat vs. Plants. Iron is prevalent in a wide variety of plant foods, especially beans and grains. In fact, vegans' iron intakes are as high or higher than non- vegetarians. Table 1 shows the iron content of some plant foods. In meat, 4. 0% of iron is bound to the heme molecule (from hemoglobin and myoglobin) (5. Beef contains about 3 mg of heme iron per serving, while chicken and pork contain about 1 to 2 mg per serving, and fish contains about 1 mg per serving (2. The rest of the iron in meat and all iron in plants is non- heme iron (3). Non- heme iron requires being released from food components by hydrochloric acid and the digestive enzyme pepsin in the stomach (3). Non- heme iron needs to be shuttled from the digestive tract into the bloodstream by a protein called transferrin. Absorption of Plant Iron. Summary: Phytates, polyphenols, and calcium supplements all inhibit non- heme iron absorption. Vitamin C and lysine increase absorption. Phytates, found in legumes and grains, can inhibit the absorption of plant iron. Calcium supplements can also inhibit iron absorption if taken with meals. Polyphenols, which include tannic acid, can inhibit iron absorption, and are found in coffee, cocoa, and black, green and many herbal teas. You should avoid these foods at meals if you are trying to increase iron absorption (1. One study showed that, over four weeks, green and black tea lowered iron levels primarily in people with serum ferritin levels less than 2. One study found that various doses of phytate reduced iron absorption by 1. But adding 5. 0 mg of vitamin C counteracted the phytate, and adding 1. C increased iron absorption to almost 3. Similarly, in the presence of a large dose of tannic acid, 1. C increased iron absorption from 2 to 8% (1. It is important to note, when assessing studies on iron absorption, that a person's serum ferritin level is the main determinant of non- heme iron absorption. Serum ferritin is inversely proportional to absorption (4. Table 2. Vitamin C in Foods. Food. Preparation. Servingmgorange juicecup. Vitamin C is also found in other green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts), green bell peppers, and cauliflower. In another study, vegetarian children with anemia and low vitamin C intakes in India were given 1. C at both lunch and dinner for 6. They saw a drastic improvement in their anemia, with most making a full recovery (2). Researchers used 5. C twice daily after meals to increase hemoglobin and serum ferritin in Indian vegetarians. They concluded that vitamin C was more effective at increasing iron status than iron supplements (1. Cooking foods in cast iron pans can increase iron consumption. A 2. 00. 7 study in Brazil showed that cooking tomato sauce in an iron skillet increases the amount of iron in the sauce and also increased iron status among teen- aged and young adult lacto- ovo vegetarians (9). The authors considered it important for the food cooked to be both acidic and water- based, such as tomato sauce. The amino acid, L- lysine, plays a part in the absorption of iron and zinc. Among plant foods, L- lysine is found in high amounts mainly in legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils, peas) and quinoa, and a vegan who doesn't eat many legumes could find themselves falling short on lysine. In some women, iron supplementation does not lead to an increase in iron stores. In one study of such women, adding the amino acid L- lysine (1. Iron Status of Vegetarians. Summary – Vegetarian men, boys, and postmenopausal women have shown little problem with iron deficiency. Just as in the greater population, it is not unusual for premenopausal vegetarian women and teenage girls to have iron deficiency and sometimes even anemia. There is anecdotal evidence that some premenopausal women who become vegetarian develop iron deficiency and such women should make sure they are paying attention to the advice above about increasing iron absorption. The American Dietetic Association's Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets says, . Although vegetarian adults have lower iron stores than nonvegetarians, their serum ferritin levels are usually within the normal range (8). The iron status of vegetarians or vegans on self- selected diets has not been followed through time. Cross- sectional studies show that average iron intakes of male vegetarians (including lacto- ovo vegetarians and vegans) range from 1. Male vegetarians' average serum ferritin levels range from 3. In the one study that explicitly stated it, no vegan men were iron deficient or anemic (2. How to Avoid the Most Dangerous Side Effect of Veganism. By Dr. Mercola. The average non- vegetarian stores between 2,0. B- 1. 2 per day. B- 1. When this does not happen, homocysteine levels increase, which recent research has associated heart disease and deterioration of the arteries and nerves. Although many vegan foods are said to have active B- 1. B- 1. 2 or prevent its loss. There are a variety of symptoms of B- 1. The initial symptoms can include low energy, but it can eventually cause permanent nerve damage, depression, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, nervousness, paranoia, hyperactive reflexes, impaired memory and behavioral changes. According to Dr. It is my medical opinion, as a vegan since 1. B- 1. 2 supplementation in your diet. I realize that many make this dietary choice based on ethical or spiritual convictions, and I have no disagreements with that. However, there are very often health consequences to veganism, namely missing critical nutrients needed to optimize your health. Gabriel Cousens, who is a devoted live- food vegan himself, explains in the blog linked above, one such nutrient is vitamin B1. Why Vegans are Often Deficient in Vitamin B1. The few plant foods that are sources of B1. B1. 2 analogs. An analog is a substance that blocks the uptake of true B1. Vitamin B1. 2 is found almost exclusively in animal tissues, which vegans and vegetarians do not typically eat, including foods like. Even though vitamin B1. Instead, B1. 2 is stored in your liver, kidneys and other body tissues, and as a result, a deficiency may not show itself for a number of years. This is a serious concern, because after about seven years of B1. It can lead to mental fogginess, memory troubles, muscle weakness and - - one of the hallmark signs - - fatigue. Vitamin B1. 2 is fittingly known as the energy vitamin, and your body requires it for a number of vital functions, including energy production, as well as. Pregnant women with B1. Spina bifida, which can cause paralysis, is a type of neural tube defect, as is anencephaly, which is fatal. A B1. 2 deficiency has also been linked to infertility and repeated miscarriages. If your diet doesn't include animal products and you're breastfeeding, your baby could also develop brain abnormalities due to a vitamin B1. Earlier this year you may have seen the tragic story of 1. Louise Le Moaligou, who died from complications associated with vitamin deficiencies, including B1. According to a study on the Hallelujah Diet - - a strict vegan diet - - by researcher Michael Donaldson, Ph. D. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and small children are particularly vulnerable to B1. Ensuring adequate B1. But this is not the case because these foods contain B1. B1. 2. The result is that eating these foods may ultimately make your B1. As Dr. This does not seem to be the case. In macrobiotics, who primarily cook their food, we see a very high percentage of children actually having growth retardation due to low B- 1. Many of us have felt that spirulina, Klamath Lake Algae, all the sea vegetables had enough active B- 1. B- 1. 2 deficiency. Although the research is not fully in, we do know that . The problem is they also have a significant amount of analog B- 1. B- 1. 2 . Therefore it could possibly worsen a B- 1. Raw nori seemed to keep the methyl malonic acid at the same level, meaning it did not harm the B- 1. No food in Europe or the U. S. While it's true that your body does produce B1. This doesn't necessarily have to be meat - - eggs and dairy are options also. Top foods to include are: Grass- fed beef and beef liver Organic, free- range chicken Raw milk Organic free- range eggs Seafood is another option, but one I don't recommend eating unless you can be certain it is not contaminated with mercury and other pollutants. If you don't consume enough of these animal products to get an adequate supply of B1. I recommend a vitamin B1. Even if you do eat animal foods, a supplement can be beneficial if your body's ability to absorb the vitamin from food is compromised, which is especially prevalent as you age. When you get older, the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid, which releases vitamin B1. If you're over 5. B1. 2 at an optimal level. But, truth be told, most multi- vitamins sold today are a complete waste of money when it comes to their B1. Part of the reason vitamin B1. B1. 2 and allows your body to absorb it into your bloodstream is because it is a massively large molecule when compared with other vitamins. Because it is far larger than any other vitamin, it requires extraordinary measures to actually push this molecule into your blood. But if your body doesn't produce enough stomach acid, which can occur as you age and also with other conditions like indigestion, heartburn and gastric reflux disease (GERD), then you're not producing enough intrinsic factor either. Fortunately, a technology has been developed that can reduce the effective size of the vitamin B1. The delivery system for these microscopic droplets of vitamin B1. B1. 2 shot. Whichever option you choose - - animal foods or a high- quality spray mist supplement - - I recommend you begin consuming it immediately if you're a vegan, as doing so could help you circumvent serious health problems looming in your future.
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