Post: #1

What brand would you guys recommend? My IRON came in low last blood test, so I'm looking for a supplement (yes, I know that eating meat and certain veggies will help as well).

My iron reading was: IRON, % SAT.: 17 LOW. I can't recall the healthy range though, and in the past I've been afraid of taking too much iron, but since I'm low currently, I'm ready for a supplement.

Also, anyone take a liquid supplement over a pill form?

Post: #2

I do most of my cooking with cast iron. Cast iron cookwear releases iron into your food.

For the actual supplement I use nature made iron vitamins. Simple and you can find at most stores. Not sure if there is a premier iron brand or something better you need to look out for.

Post: #3

Iron from animal sources are the best, you do not need additional supplementation if you eat enough red meat for example. Also, eating sources of iron together with vitamin c improves the absorption of iron.

Post: #4

Might not be your case, but if you are already consuming what should be enough iron and still have low levels, pay attention to your consumption of dairy products - they reduce the bioavailability and absortion of iron in the organism.

Pubmed: Cow's milk consumption and iron deficiency anemia in children
Pubmed: Consumption of cow's milk as a cause of iron deficiency in infants and toddlers

My original source:
Rich Roll podcast with vegan strongman Patrik Baboumian (01:48:23)

Post: #5

I'd recommend you go to your pharmacist and ask him what is available.

The cheapest (at least in my country) iron pills tend to be the ones made for pregnant women. So when I was in private practice I put most people on pregnancy iron tabs, even the men, because cost wise it just made more sense and iron doesn't mysteriously change it's properties just because it is in a tab marketed to pregnant women, it remains iron.

That said, your cheaper irons tend to be elemental compounds, like iron sulphate, which can be rather hard on the stomach. They also can turn your stool black.

If you want something gentler on the stomach, get an iron-amino acid supplement which digests easily. Your pharmacist can give you a recommendation, but they are a lot pricier.

Otherwise you can cook with cast iron cookware. Some people absorb too much iron over the course of years, though, using this method. Excess chronic iron absorption can lead to liver disease, although you'll have to try really hard for a long time to get iron overload, unless you have a genetic predisposition to it.

Some people will say that Vitamin C improves iron absorption. This is true only for a few days, after which the body downregulated the vitamin C-dependent iron transporter. So in the long run, vitamin C does nothing to improve iron absorption.

Post: #6

The "slow fe", or slow release are much easier on your stomach and digestive system. Also, eat your steak/lamb on the rarer side as this preserves the iron in the food. I've also been told ground meat absorbs a bit better, but the difference is probably not substantial.
It is documented that iron from animal sources absorbs more than from vegetables.

If you're really feeling weak, you can also get iron infusions - provided that you have health insurance which covers it or are willing to pay for it. There are two kinds that I know of:

Feraheme is a stronger treatment that would generally require only 1-2 infusions, but sometimes allergic reactions occur and the infusion must be stopped.
The other is Ferrlicet, which would be more like 5-6 treatments, depending on your level deficiency. Your hematologist will determine that.

Post: #7

Talk to your doctor first. Have him reccommend a supplement regime. If you do it yourself, you could consume too much iron. Which is unhealthy.

Post: #8

As a previous poster indicated, cooking liver or organ meat in a cast iron skillet will help raise iron levels. If you can't stomach (no pun intended) organ meat, then red meat is another, less FE laden option. When you cook it, spray some lemon juice over it at the end, as the Vitamin C will help absorption. Vitamin C type salad dressings over spinach or other greens (cooked or raw) is also a very good source of FE.

Most breakfast cereals are iron-fortified. Cheerios etc. all have a good amount of iron. Might be better to do almond milk rather than dairy with them due to absorption issues.

If you already ingest enough iron (and wondering why you don't - are you on a special diet), you might have leaky gut or another digestive problem. If that is possible, heavy regiment of natural probiotics (kimchi being perhaps the best) and pro-biotic supplements, containing at least 7-10 million over 6+ unique strands, will help to solve the issue of absorption over time. Alcohol, articifical sweeteners and large amounts of sugar will have the opposite effect (as will antibiotics but those are presumably being taken for other necessary reasons).

Post: #9

How about blackstrap molasses? I've read that it's high in iron.

Post: #10

Without seeing other labs and further work-up, it is hard to say. It could be another underlying problem and not just iron deficiency. What was hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, RDW, TIBC and ferritin? Any other chronic diseases?

If you do need iron supplementation, the type does not really matter as long as you get the correct amount of elemental iron, 150-200mg/day.

Post: #11

Other #'s that were "out of range" looked like:

Creatinine: 0.87 LO

Lipoprot (LDL) DIRECT: 112 HI

IgE, SERUM: 433.0 HI

HEP. B SURF. AB. Reactive *

IRON, % SAT.: 17 LO

LDL-P: 719 HI

HDL-P: 7087 LO

250H, Vitamin D: 25.0 LO

HISTONE AB. IgG (30): 1.3 HI

I'm not sure what any of it means though. I haven't been eating that much meat recently. I have been super tired and also getting headaches. I have another appointment in about 2 weeks and hopefully I'll see what they tell me.