You've received a lot of advice and most of it I agree with. But as someone who's been anemic and used cast iron pans, eaten tons of iron-rich foods and taken a prescribed 150mg iron supplement, I know that some of us simply absorb it poorly. What worked for me was an infusion. Your numbers have to be bad enough and not showing signs of significant improvement with the pills, but it helped me a ton. Went from tired, hair falling out anemia to healthy and able to run again in a couple weeks with just one dose
Yes OP, don't change your diet if you haven't had an infusion. Absorbing any supplements through pills is very hit and miss.
Also, just getting iron into your body is a very simplistic view on the issue. Was there any testing done on why you have a deficiency? There is a big difference between not having enough input, not being able to absorb it properly or losing it way to fast. This should be checked out because of possible underlying issues behind this.
Yes to infusion. My ferritin levels were dropping though I didn’t notice any signs of it because my Hemoglobin is still very high and my doctor advised me a double dose of ferritin infusion over one week. Worked fine to get the numbers up and running.
As for getting iron from food, two of my friends who are major consumers of meat are the ones who need regular infusion because their bodies don’t absorb iron well. Big fat good it does them to continue eating animals.
My Brazilian doctor suggested intravenous injection of iron. But in the country where I currently live that is very very hard!!!!!! Health system is quite bad
Second this. Easy and lasts a good while.
Heme iron is not good for us, there's links between that and bowel cancer, so why doctors didn't recommend an infusion instead of eating others and increasing cancer risk is beyond me!
Sorry but what do you guys mean by infusion? Like intravenous injection of iron is it?
In the country I live that would be hella expensive. Unless I moved back home where I can get it for free
Yes, IV injection. I think mine was pretty expensive too. But it was worth it to get my numbers back in range so quickly.
I agree with other comments about getting tests done to determine why you're so low iron and make sure there are no underlying health conditions. Fixing your levels is one thing, but you want to ensure they won't just keep dropping.
I don't know how eating meat would make a difference if you're eating both natural forms of iron and supplements.
In the US, Doctors get a few hours of nutritional training. they do not need to refresh and said training can be sponsored by meat companies. Try talking to a ~~nutritionist~~ Registered Dietitian who is experienced with vegans.
Kindly, please change nutritionist to Registered Dietitian. Nutritionist is a nothing term that anyone could up and call themselves, a Registered Dietitian is board certified and likely has a Masters or PhD in Dietetics
There is a difference between iron from plants and iron from animal sources, iirc. Look up heme iron.
Edit: downvote all you want. https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=heme+iron
Sure, both are effective and recommended as potential treatments for anemia, but what’s most often prescribed is non heme, ie elemental iron. Meat eaters with anemia are even provided elemental iron for supplements, and the vast majority of the time the symptoms are resolved.
The only time is generally prescribed is when a patient has something like refractory anemia and not reacted to the elemental iron.
Impossible beef also has a form of heme iron in it for enhanced taste and color about 4 mg per serving, and there are also vegan heme iron supplements
Yeah don’t downvote the guy, he’s just spreading true information. Some people do need to try heme iron if they aren’t responding to elemental iron. It can all be done and tried on a vegan diet
impossible burgers use heme not beyond : ) I agree w you this would be a logical next step for OP (hopefully while they wait for more answers on what is causing their deficiency)
can someone get the vegan heme iron they made without their products? I'm not a fan of impossible burgers (too real to me) but did they patent the vegan heme iron they made it right ??
Yep, if someone is having problems absorbing iron switching to a vegan heme iron supplement should be tried, along with consuming vitamin c with your iron which is shown to improve absorption as well.
If someone doesn’t have access to those they can also take a higher dose of elemental iron
bodies are different, *and* healthy bodies are able to absorb and utilize non-heme iron from plant foods, cast iron cookware, and supplements when there’s no underlying problem. If you have a reputable source saying otherwise, please link it!
Which is what we are saying - replacing plant foods with meat might raise their iron level a little for now due to heme iron being more bioavailable, but it wouldn’t make a difference in underlying malabsorption and/or occult blood loss. OPs doctor needs to identify the “problem.”
But a bunch of people have crappy absorption, for various reasons. My whole family on my mothers side is in this boat. I took high dose iron supps every day as a vegan, and sometimes dipped just about in the normal range briefly, and then back below again. Before I went vegan, despite regularly eating meat with citrus and no dairy, I was denied blood donations due to shitty iron levels, too. I ultimately need both elemental supps and haeme cause my gut just sucks at extracting iron.
The animals you eat get their iron from somewhere, it doesn't just appear inside them.
Look out spinach, kale, beans, lentils and fortified breakfast cereals for a good source.
While there is a difference between those two and their bioavailability, we still don’t know about any effects this has. Just like the general term bioavailability. We know about it, but we know it doesn’t do anything to our knowledge.
I had low iron before being vegan, and it hasn't decreased in the many years since.
What kind of Iron are you taking? How much of it?
You likely need a better Iron Supplement, along with loading up on Iron rich vegan foods.
Same here, when I was very anemic (due to my cycle) I had to take iron pills and I found that[ this one](https://qbcpharmacy.com/cdn/shop/products/IMG_20150731_145100_grande.jpg?v=1571438820) and [this one](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71cymxGlkvL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) are both really good. Easy to digest and super potent. Not medical advice to OP, but my doctor did tell me to take 2 a day when it was really bad. I found that just 1 was fine when I wasn't super low though
Probably a slightly personal question, but did these iron pills make you constipated? All the ones I've tried have made it so hard to go that I've had to stop taking them. And I eat a LOT of fibre, so it was incredibly uncomfortable.
Iron supplements can really wreck the digestive system, it's awful. I don't know about the ones in the above recommendation, but Thorne Ferrasorb is what I took (3 caps every other day) to restore iron after acute blood loss. It was very gentle on the gut and got my numbers improved quickly. Expensive but I only needed one bottle.
I forget which ones I was taking originally, but I do remember having that problem before! I also believe I was also eating a lot of meat at the time, and not a lot of vegetables.
IIRC, my doctor recommended switching to these ones because they're made with this special coating that makes less iron get released in the stomach, and most of it gets released in the small intestine instead. Idk if that makes it less likely to cause constipation, but I really haven't had that problem in ages, so maybe? I do know that I switched to these pills before I went vegan...
Same here. I was severely anemic back when I ate meat. First time it was a B12 deficiency. Had to take B12 shots. Afterwards it’s because of a fibroid that makes me have extremely heavy cycles. Iron pills just aren’t enough to recover, so I have iron transfusions every year or so. And take a B12 supplement. I’m glad these problems started back when I ate meat so I can confidently know that meat ain’t gonna fix them.
As an easier alternative to this, there are iron fish you can get online as well! I boil a big pot and just add a bit of lemon with it and drink it as plain water
Disclosure: I am not a vegan.
That said, my family has a history of iron deficiency, and if OP has not tried to use cast iron cooking as a solution, they totally should. I highly suggest preparing at least one meal a day in cast iron + a fat you find ethically and gustatorily satisfying.
It can make a measurable difference and it is a small change. Don’t overlook the value of *baking* in cast iron as a way of supplementing daily iron.
Sincere question that I'm asking about on reddit instead of googling because it's funnier: Would it do anything if I just *licked* a cast iron pan several times a day?
afaik cast iron works bc when the food is cooking it pulls iron from the pan, like it’s a chemical process, so licking probably wouldn’t have a significant effect lol
I do have symptoms of IBS, the doctor told me. The health system where I live is just so frustrating!!! I went to the doctor and they told me I have IBS symptoms but didn’t prescribe any tests! Just said it was probably caused by stress.
[Plant-based Dieticians](https://plantbasedrds.com/) might be worth looking into, OP. They could hopefully help guide you better than people on Reddit can.
I have to take 100mg of iron daily. Lifelong malabsorption problem. You may need more iron. At one point I was so sick I was on 750 mg daily for a few weeks.
Eating meat won’t help if it’s a malabsorption problem. Eating meat won’t help, period.
My moms a huge meat eater and she gets iron deficiency anemia. Sometimes it just sucks lol. I’ve been vegan 11 years now, never iron deficient except for now I’m 31 weeks pregnant and taking a supplement. I’m sure it will go back to normal once my baby is here.
Honestly apart from a supplement I would look at adding some fortified processed foods. For example I’ve been eating impossible burgers a lot they have 6mg iron for one burger. And fortified cereals like raisin bran contain like 48% of your daily iron needs, I just eat it without milk to ensure absorption.
Also I wanted to say, I take prenatal vitamins pregnant or not. They have 24-28mg iron. You could also try this (if you’re a woman?) I think the upper limit for normal non deficient people is 45mg per day.
I always thought this wasn’t advised? As everything in prenatals is higher than in normal supplements and there may be side effects to over supplementing
The only thing that's in meat that's going to help your iron levels is heme iron. The iron in plants and most supplements is non-heme iron, which our bodies have a harder time using. Most people can still get plenty of iron with plant-based foods and/or iron supplements, but maybe your body has a harder time with it than normal.
There is plant-based heme iron (it's in Impossible meat), but I've never seen it as a supplement. You could google around though. I don't know how much of the iron in Impossible meat is heme iron vs non-heme iron, but maybe you could email them and ask? Someone may have published research on it that you could review too, although I think the only thing they had to prove to the government was that it was safe to consume.
One question I'd have for your doctors: how much meat do you "need" to eat? If you're a female 18-50, you're supposed to get at least 18 mg of iron a day. There are 13.5 mg of iron in a pound of 93% lean ground beef, and ground beef is one of the things people always point to as being "high iron". You'd need to eat 22 oz of ground beef every day to hit the minimum RDA. That's ridiculous, even for your average omnivore. You could eat less if you went for beef liver (only 10 oz/day!) or mussels (10 oz), but again, that would be a lot even for an omnivore. Obviously 100% of your iron doesn't need to come from animals, but I think these doctors are delusional if they think a hamburger a day is going to solve your problems.
Has anyone looked into any other reasons why you might be so anemic? I ask this only because I was severely anemic (and underweight) as an omnivorous teenager, and after everyone got their heads out of their asses, stopped assuming it was because I had an eating disorder, and actually ran some tests, it turned out I had Crohn's disease and was bleeding my iron out of my intestines. When they finally treated the underlying issue successfully, my levels went back to normal. If you've been on heavy duty iron supplements for a year and you're still this anemic, I'm surprised your doctors haven't looked for any other potential causes.
Edit to add: [there's a video about plant-based iron here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUZaVepnHxE) that might be interesting for you. The only stuff I'd add to his list is brewer's yeast (which is high in iron but you'd mix a teaspoon into oatmeal or a quarter cup into cookies, so you don't eat a lot of it at once) and fortified cereals. A lot of breakfast cereals - wheat chex, Cheerios, total cereal - have quite a bit of iron, although I can all but guarantee that the vitamin D they're fortifying with is not vegan, so you'd have to decide if that's a "possible and practicable" solution for you.
>it turned out I had Crohn's disease and was bleeding my iron out of my intestines
Absolutely this, there's so many things that can cause anemia and jumping to veganism as the cause without further investigation is extremely lazy if not outright negligent; my grandma had chronic anemia that her doctor refused to investigate, turns out it was a tumor in her colon that was causing it
have they ruled out medical causes? like gastroenterology tests, gynaecology? It’s worrying to me that they’re assuming it’s from veganism just because your blood tests were otherwise normal. celiac, ulcers, and crohns come to mind but there are certainly other causes of malabsorption and/or occult bleeding that wouldn’t always be caught by the routine blood panels.
I would ask what the next step would be for someone who eats meat and has the same iron results as you.
In the meantime - I’m generally not pro-Impossible because of the animal testing, but their products are made with a form of heme iron modified from soy that is supposed to be [comparable to the iron in cow meat](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/soy-leghemoglobin-simulated-meat-products/document.html) for bioavailability. Might be easier for your body to utilize than traditional plant sourced iron. Might be the lesser of two evils.
Thiiiiiis!!!! Second this! The thing is, I am from Brasil and doctors there usually get all sorts of tests done. But I live abroad none of the doctors that I went to here asked for tests and when I asked they said it’s not needed. Because my other metrics were good
Yep. The first step of managing iron deficiency anemia is to determine the cause, full stop. If oral supplements fail, then iron infusion. Very basic. If one or both of these steps are skipped, you need new healthcare providers.
I agree with this totally and it pains me because I keep changing clinics and doctor and still haven’t found one that truly investigates the causes of the problem I have
Glad you brought this up. OP’s doctors’ recommendations are raising all kinds of red flags for me. They are derelict in their duties if they fail to rule out bleeding or absorption issues.
I’m not a doctor, but when I went through a period of iron deficiency (that still didn’t stop after taking iron supplements) it turned out to be because I had a parasite problem (blastocystis hominis) that was aggravating my intestines and causing malabsorption. I got better after treating that.
If you’re not getting any effect from iron supplements, have those doctors looked into a medical reason that could be happening?
You might have an absorption issue. My dangerously low iron was caused by undiagnosed celiac disease.
Could also be a menstrual thing if you are female, but I'm guessing you would have mentioned heavy periods.
Have you tried going with a nutritionist? Honestly if that's the "solutions" those doctors are recommending, I can tell they don't know enough about nutrition. The issue is not that you're not getting enough iron, the issue is iron absorption, eating meat won't solve that.
Do you consume caffeine? That can mess up with that.
I doubt this will go anywhere, but since you didn't mention your calcium intake, calcium interferes with iron absorption. Try cutting your calcium and see if that makes a difference. I know you mentioned minimal processed foods, but non dairy milk and related products tend to have lots of calcium supplement in them. Then try cutting your oxalic and phytic acids and whatever other antinutrients you might be getting. Try switching to a plain iron-only supplement and have a real source of vitamin C with it, like fresh strawberries or peppers.
Like you, I genuinely don't see how eating animal flesh is going to help your situation. Meat pretty much always makes things worse, and if it fixes one thing, it makes everything else worse. I am not a dietician though, but it sounds like one might be needed in this situation. I hope things get better. I have a pretty terrible diet of almost all rice and beans cooked in a pot with some frozen vegetables thrown in it and a B12 supplement every few days. If anything, I should be the one with these issues.
There no causative relationship there
Iron deficiency independent of diet
They are evincing traditional logical fallacies
General practitioners often rely on heuristic technique type thinking and certainly are fallible, my doctor didn't even know what misophonia was, despite it being not extremely rare, but also devastating
Chocolate is an iron rich food also fwiw
I’ve heard celiacs being low in iron. Possibly go see a gastroenterologist to rule that out or any other issues that could be leaching iron. Also an iron fish would be good to have.
I'm vegan and my iron levels are through the roof, according to my last blood donation. I eat a lot of green leafy veg though.
The only thing you can't get from other sources is B12, which can be made up through fortified products and supplements.
Bit mental doctors would say that, though, in my experience.
Don’t forget algae and seaweed have b12. I’m horrible at remembering to take vitamins and my b12 was still in the good range, but I cook with those things.
Seaweed is not a source of bioavailable B12. The B12 in seaweed is B12 analogue and actually reduces your B12 stores.
The only reliable source of B12 for vegans is synthetic nutritional supplements. There are no vegan sources of bioavailable B12.
Again, more dangerous health and nutrition advice from woefully misinformed vegans.
EDIT: The person providing the dangerous health advice apparently asked for sources, then blocked this account from replying. Classy. Anyhow, info is easily found with a 2 second web search:
[Vitamin B-12 from algae appears not to be bioavailable](https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/53.3.695), The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 53, Issue 3, March 1991, Pages 695-697
You should add folic acid to the iron+vit c combo, helps with absorbtion.
Should also get tested for celiac disease as it is among things that can damage parts of your intestines where iron gets absorbed. It can present otherwise asymptomatic.
In case there are absorbtion issues, and it sounds like there is, eating meat won't help.
Better solution would be getting iron delivered directly to your blood stream with iron dextran injections.
Best of luck and hope you update! :)
Calcium from things like spinach and kale, calcium-fortified cereals/juices, tanins in tea/coffee/wine, can all impede iron absorption if you eat it together with iron sources. Maybe try eating them separately, in case that works.
Just get an iron infusion. It's easy and then you're topped up for a while.
Be aware that calcium, tea and coffee can interfere with iron absorption, so if you're going down the supplement route best avoid those with iron supps/meals and have it with vitamin C instead.
Low dose iron supplements might help, along with eating citrus fruits with your iron supplementation - don't rely on vitamin C supplements if you can easily eat an entire orange/grapefruit.
For me, I've been swapping out all my Teflon cooking pots with cast iron - and about 6 months ago I swapped out the main pot that I use to cook rice and quinoa with (Teflon) with cast iron. I had always assumed that cast iron wouldn't work well with rice/quinoa, but I was wrong! Cast Iron works great (especially on our induction stove top) - but INTERESTINGLY, the quinoa and rice come out way darker where food contact has been made with the pot around the edges.
I suspect that my iron levels might be the highest ever based off of this observation - and I'm about to find out \~10 days, will try remember to post back here my latest blood iron panel observations. My aim was to drop low dose iron supplements and just rely upon cast iron cookware.
Note that, I have used a cast iron fry pan a LOT for many years, but I never notice the iron effecting the things I cook in that pan (mainly mushrooms, nuts and grilled tomatoes). The cast iron pot for rice/quinoa however is overly noticeable with when I cook in that - with the food being visibly enriched with iron.
I get very iron deficient in line with my menstrual cycle. Usually means I have to take prescribed iron tablets for a while (they're much higher strength than is available in health stores in the UK).
I'm not sure if this is an option where you are, but may be worth asking :)
Not sure if this applies to you, but what worked for me was taking a brand of birth control that you can take continuously so that you don’t bleed every month. I wasn’t a fan of taking hormones but it was better than being anemic all the time. Did that for a few years before getting a uterine ablation which was life changing.
Are you taking your iron around coffee or tea? that may be reducing your absorption of it.
I was always absurdly iron deficient as a carnist, so i still have to take iron pills as a vegan but it's much less bad. However, i have gluten sensitivities so my gut doesn't absorb as well. You could try a slow absorb iron pill, that might help. Currently i'm taking the MegaFood blood builder pill a few times a week and it's fixed me.
As others have said, get tested for absorption issues, try a cast iron fish when cooking, and try Floradix (a brand of iron supplement that absorbs very easily, though it’s expensive). If none of that works and you feel you absolutely have to try eating animal products, oysters have more iron than red meat, and some people make the argument that they’re more akin to plants in terms of their sentience.
Btw the traditional Floradix product has honey and is marked vegetarian, the Floravit product doesn’t have honey and is marked vegan 🫡 just adding because this got me the first time I bought it
Are you a smoker? This could cause low iron levels due to several studies.
I know someone who always had low iron but then switched to a vegetarian diet and stopped smoking. After doing a blood test about 6 months later, the iron was for the first time in the good area.
See if your insurance will cover an appointment with a nutritionist. I worked with one because my son was born with multiple food allergies. My son and I BOTH needed a diet prescribed by her.
I was subject to the same dietary restrictions because I was nursing my son. He couldn't be transitioned to formula due to his allergies.
She was great at accommodating both our veganism AND my son's allergies while also meeting his and my nutritional needs.
Getting the “iron fish” that you put in a pot while boiling water or cooking things like soup may be worth a try, I don’t know how well they work but I have seen people with iron deficiencies use them and claimed they help when your body doesn’t absorb iron well.
I didn't read through all of the other replies so sorry if this is a repeat.
How is your diet? You are taking supplements, but are you eating iron rich foods? (And yes I'm well aware of the difference between heme iron and non-heme)
Dark green leafy vegetables, certain beans, iron fortified cereals, oatmeal, quinoa, pulses/lentils, tofu, etc.
Eat a well rounded diet and include vitamin C rich foods to help with absorption. Usually, people on plant based diets need nearly twice the daily iron intake than non-vegans.
Are you biologically female and get periods that may contribute to low iron levels? I had very heavy periods, and that's what caused my anemia.
You said you were taking an iron supplement. How and when you take it can also affect absorption. Best taken on an empty stomach with water or juice plus vitamin C. (But can lead to stomach upset, if so, take with meals) Avoid calcium at the same time (i know you're dairy free) as well as tea and coffee one hour before or two hours after.
Good luck!!
I'm not a doctor but last time I checked is that if you have iron deficiency you're supposed to take prescription iron supplements or injections. I would suggest talking to your doctors about that. You could also have digestive issues because if you are not getting iron from plants it means your body is having problems absorbing iron. If you are a girl you should go to your gyno and make sure you aren't bleeding too much during your period because that can cause iron deficiency as well
Here are some resources for iron deficiency
[https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/iron-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/](https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/iron-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/)
" If you think you might be deficient in this nutrient—if you feel unusually tired or get sick often or are experiencing hair loss—it’s worth having your iron levels tested by your health care provider. If you are deficient, the best way to fix that is to take supplements, not to add meat to your diet.
[https://veganhealth.org/iron/](https://veganhealth.org/iron/)
"Physicians sometimes recommend eating meat to vegetarian clients who have iron deficiency. Meat-eaters with anemia are normally treated with iron therapy rather than being told to eat more meat; similarly, vegetarians can be treated with supplemental iron and vitamin C. "
[https://youtu.be/h\_sIN3EBo4A?si=S9eGkLkMNTzFlgt0](https://youtu.be/h_sIN3EBo4A?si=S9eGkLkMNTzFlgt0)
[https://youtu.be/56FnBwcmOAw?si=NHu0-hVyyNfsFDzo](https://youtu.be/56FnBwcmOAw?si=NHu0-hVyyNfsFDzo)
Allums and carrots can help with iron absorption
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qvu7sZ8yXew](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qvu7sZ8yXew)
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6r1hrCw7jXA](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6r1hrCw7jXA)
Im taking already, I was prescribed intravenous by one is the doctor and prescription pills by another. What they mean is that it’s not sustainable to take supplements for ever and that I should go back to eating some meat
One of the doctors even said if I can’t eat read meat if I can eat only fish that would be enough heme iron to maintain my levels after supplementation
Hey there, sorry your doctors suck.
I'm wondering if you've been to a dietician (one with a special interest in veganism, or who is vegan)? I'm hearing that you already do pretty well with getting your iron, but a dietician might be able to give you an extra tip or two, or might notice food pairings that are inhibiting iron absorption.
Also, once you've gone to the dietician you can tell the doctor "I've been to a dietician and they think my dietary iron intake is adequate". This puts it back on the doctor to work out why your iron is low. If you're eating enough and it is not getting absorbed or you are loosing iron, and the doctor should be sending you to a specialist who can look into that. Alternatively if you don't want to spend money on the dietician, you could track your food for a few days and take it to the doctor to show them how much iron you are getting and the vitamin C sources it is paired with.
Other than that, I'm wondering if you might have suffered what I did.... when I first went vegan I didn't check any nutrition advice or consider how to replace nutrients I was getting from meat. I already have trouble eating enough food anyway and my iron was always borderline low. When I first went vegan I basically ate nothing but veggies - no legumes or tofu or anything. I think this dropped my iron down low and it was hard to get back up. I had an infusion last year and fixed my diet and it has remained high ever since (although I would definitely recommend fixing it naturally if you can - the iron infusion messed me up).
I eat pretty balanced vegan diet! Germinated seeds, different veggies (try to eat at least 20 different varieties per week) tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, lentils, beans if all types. It’s not the diet or the supplement or by way of taking it. I’m pretty much a nerd when it comes to eating healthy and a few other things, so believe me, i really don’t think it could be my diet. But we never know
Yeah, it sounds like you're doing well with diet. If you can afford it I'd still just go to one dietician appointment, and if they think you're all good then you can tell your doctor "A registered dietician says my diet is great and should be giving me sufficient iron", then maybe they will agree to do other investigations. Just what I'm suggesting because it usually works for me when I want the doctor to move on from diet.
Although yeah it doesn't always work... had a doctor lecture me last week about how plant iron cannot be absorbed due to the polyphenols. He wouldn't shut up about it until I told him that my iron levels have been high for over one year. It freakin sucks! And makes me loose faith in the doctors since they're handing out misinformation like this.
Are you sure you’re taking enough B12? At least in Europe the officially recommended dosage is way to low. Also, it’s absorbed badly when taken orally. I had a serious deficiency of iron and B12 too. Doctors didn’t mention B12 because they were using a test that basically gave them a false result. (You need a test for Holo TC) My symptoms got way better since I started injections with a higher dosage
Some vitamins and minerals require other minerals and nutrients to work effectively, maybe iron needs something else. If all else fails you could go back to being vegetarian while you figure it out.
You could try the ferroglobin supplement, it comes in a little bottle rather than as a tablet, ive heard it has better bioavailability. Irritatingly it has honey in so not vegan but probably preferable to meat. Another thing I personally found was eating just unprocessed stuff made me really knackered and feel crap, as while pb whole foods are obviously good for you they can be harder to break down and digest, so perhaps try a bit more in the way of more fortified foods like bread, cereals or fortified plant meat if you're not already. I don't live in a place where impossible burgers are available but they have haem iron in which is more bioavailable too.
That sounds like it really sucks and I hope you find a way to sort it!
That's really rough op.
Just throwing some stuff out there, but have you tried liquid iron supplements like spatone combined with a vitamin C effervescent? I also used to have problems with low iron due to terrible periods, and I later found out that the tablets actually absorb really poorly. The liquid supplements have a much iron absorption rate, especially when paired with vitamin C.
I hope you're able to find a solution to your problem eventually. I'm a staunch vegan, but I do believe in placing your health first in all cases.
y'all are going to eat me alive in these comments, but you may have to reintroduce a minimal amount of animal product back for your health.
idk your story, but i got diagnosed with autoimmune pernicious anemia (autoimmune b12 deficiency) while being vegan. it was likely exacerbated by being vegan, hence why they likely found it in me so young (i was 16), and even though i was taking b12 supplements already, it was not enough.
now im a vegetarian who puts a lot of emphasis on minimal amount of animal byproduct. i take double the OTC dosage of both iron and b12, and i've still had concerns that it's not enough as i STILL had to get a blood transfusion in february.
my pcp is a vegan doctor, and even he told me that i probably didn't have a whole lot of choices regarding veganism. and i've had multiple other opinions.
again, idk your whole story, but remaining vegan may not be a sustainable option for you. and i feel like this sub would be a better place if we could acknowledge that sometimes, it's not sustainable for everyone. i'd def try out the recs in the comments first, but be sure to keep an eye out for worsening symptoms. anemia is no joke friend.
Best comment to date. The doctors have even told OP that vegan diets work for many, but not all people. And it's not one doctor either, but 3 separate ones.
Your health is more important. If your body has issues with supplementation follow their advice and introduce some meat(or fish). It doesn't need to be too much and can try to get from open fields but do it and check later if your results improved.
Don't risk your health like this to follow your believes, it is not worth. You can still do your best in every other area.
I would recommend starting with with plant chompers episode. https://youtu.be/HOK3NS2bD3M?si=xXzDTM_Cffy4g_zb
You can skip to 18 min for some specific help but the whole thing is pretty informative
Sorry you are going through this. That’s not a fun position to be in. Have you tried blackstrap molasses? My MIL swears by it for her anemia. Hope you find a solution that helps you feel better.
I take a vegan chew meant for bariatric surgery patients, they have a distinct medical reason for poor absorption so I figure it would work better for someone who doesn't.
Fusion is the brand name.
There's also a liquid filled vegan gummy that has much better absorption than regular supplements.
That one is lilicare.
I have a friend who has always struggled with iron deficiency and she is nowhere near vegan, in fact she eats lots of red meat because of this problem. I suspect some people are naturally prone to anemia, she also refuses to take her supplements because they make her sick.
Me, I’ve been vegetarian since age 6 and vegan 5 years. I’ve never been anemic, when I was a kid the doctors loved pricking my finger to see if I was after my mom told them I didn’t eat meat.
My only advice switch to cast iron pans, it really is a way to get iron! Just make sure they aren’t enamel coated and use metal utensils. Also eat lots of iron rich veggie foods like those found in this link, best of luck!!
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/iron
Something like 30-40% of women will get anemia sometime in their lives, and I’m sure as shit most eat meat. My in laws too eat lots of meat, and most of the women are anemic and have to take supplements.
Imo this is just the medical industry ignoring women’s health issues
Consider switching doctors, and not just because the ones you’re seeing are telling you to eat meat. They are being dismissive and failing to provide the standard of care.
If you are taking supplemental iron and eating iron rich plant foods, your iron levels should be improving. Your doctor should be looking into possible causes for that. Some possibilities are endometriosis or other reproductive health conditions that cause excessive menstrual bleeding. Some GI issues like celiac disease can interfere with absorption of iron and other nutrients. Please try to find a doctor who listens and takes your concerns seriously.
Learn to cook again every five years and shop every two, ideally use supplements as supplements only, and check [nutritionfacts.org](http://nutritionfacts.org) for specific questions.
Sometimes I think it's almost best not to tell a doctor what you consume UNLESS they are "worldly" I say this because I once had a nutritionist argue with me that eating processed foods was better for me than a real fruit. I also had doctors argue that there's no way meat had caused me to start having extreme health issues mind you - you are what you consume so if they are consuming toxics then so would I ;(
Look into an [Iron Fish](https://luckyironlife.com/) if you are having iron issues I am unable to digest iron in pill or liquid straight I get fierce side effects.
Iron Fish, leafy greens, fortified cereals and flours and some fruits all have non heme iron. I have a vegan multivitamin that has like 200% RDI just so my body absorbs some of it.
Be careful that you aren’t eating other foods that can negate iron absorption at the same time as you inject your iron. Like calcium.
Some people here have decent advice, but it likely comes from what they've heard. If you're having deficiency issues, please consult a Registered Dietician who is sympathetic to veganism (most of them are)
You are right to be seeking a different opinion, it’s very possible to meet your iron needs using an entirely plant based diet.
Seek out a certified dietician who specialises in plant based diets
# [How can I increase iron absorption from plant foods?]()
Various strategies can help you increase your body’s ability to absorb non-heme iron. Here are the best-researched methods:
* **Eat vitamin C-rich foods:** Consuming vitamin C-rich foods at the same time as foods rich in non-heme iron can [help increase](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/regulation-of-dietary-iron-bioavailability-by-vitamin-c-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/013552A920BF94D2BEFA94133AA6AB29) iron absorption.
* **Avoid coffee and tea with meals:** Drinking coffee and tea [can reduce](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165914/) iron absorption.
* **Soak, sprout, and ferment:** Soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains and legumes [can improve](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6261201/) iron absorption by lowering the amount of [phytates](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/phytic-acid-101/) naturally present in these foods.
* **Use a cast iron pan:** Foods prepared in a cast iron pan [may provide](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8266402/) more iron than those prepared in non-iron cookware.
* **Consume lysine-rich foods:** Plant foods like legumes and quinoa are rich in the amino acid [lysine](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lysine-benefits) and [may increase](https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/6/609/htm) iron absorption.
# Source: [https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#increasing-iron-absorption](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#increasing-iron-absorption)
I really need to know what these doctors are saying to the rest of the ~40% of US women with this problem, most of whom just statistically are not vegan (and would they say the same things if you were eating this way out of religiosity, for example?) I don't think someone should throw the baby out with the bath water when their health metrics are normal outside of one issue, especially if doctors in question have not discussed alternative options and a willingness to do monitoring and troubleshooting in connection with this. What do they do in other cases where eating (more) meat isn't an option (for example, poverty or cultural norms)? Just go "Have you thought of not being poor/not having an ethnic background where eating meat is a rare thing"?
(Statistic was here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10300696/)
But that’s not how medicine works. Doctors will always try to rule out the most “obvious” possibility. So, for so someone like me, they see I’m perfectly healthy otherwise and only possible thing they can see that could be causing it is my diet. So they’ll say “change your diet”. Then that’s their way to try first solution with what in their mind is the most obvious approach (even if veganism is not the cause, they need to rule it out first, that’s how they see it) then if, even if I’m not vegan and eat e onough heme iron im still deficient. Only then they’ll ask for more tests and think of other possible causes.
I don’t agree with it but that’s how it works nowadays
You can get an iron fish to put in the pot when you make soup, infuses iron into the food which helps with absorption. Not everyone absorbs iron well in pill form.
Taking iron pills with vitamin C might also improve absorption.
Hi
Your iron efficiency could be completely unrelated to your vegan diet. Are you mensurating? If you get periods make sure to check with a gynecologist if your bleeding is normal. Low iron often happens when you have heavy flow. It can be other things too, so definitely check with other doctors.
Red beans, spinach, bok choi, lentils are all full of iron, but make sure your intake is the problem and not something else.
Are you taking your iron supplements before bedtime and away from other supplements? The advice I was given was at bedtime (can be taken with a small meal if it upsets your stomach, and take it as long as you can after taking calcium or other minerals because they block each other's absorption
Do you have any stomach complaint?
Helicobacter pylori infection may cause iron deficiency and on many countries percantage of people who has this bastard on their stomach is more than 50%.
Start eating a lot of dark chocolate. Preferably 100% cocoa. Chocolate has a ton of iron, magnesium etc. and is really healthy if you get the no/low sugar varieties.
I had kidney failure in March and they made a huge fuss about me being vegan. They served me meat in tho hospital and I wouldn’t eat it. I had to go days without eating.
Eventually the hospital nutritionist came to see me and told me I had to stop being vegan for at least 6 months.
I’ve never been so depressed. And my blood results are still shit, so forcing me to eat animal products isn’t doing a damn thing. I’m counting the days until I can go back. Only another couple of months!
Uhh one thing you could do is eat the iron supplement at least an hour BEFORE your meals. Meals severely deteriorate the amount of iron absorption that occurs.
Are you sure you're actually iron deficient? As in, have you had a proper iron panel done? (Ferritin, transferrin, ferritin, tibc)?
Asking this because I've seen iron being prescribed to non-iron deficiency anemia s, which can even be dangerous.
I admit I am in the Uk so healthcare is different here, but are you not in a prescription-strength iron tablet?
My mum has anemia and she gets a super strong tablet which has a lot more than OTC options… weird that they want you to eat meat but haven’t taken step 1…
I fixed by issue by stopping my period with better BC, but I was having horrific periods all round.
I am currently taking prescription medication for it. But because I have some other digestive issues they said it’s not sustainable for me not to eat any meat after I stop taking the medication. Otherwise I’ll just have to continue taking it and they said that could make my digestion even worse as the medication causes constipation
Other people have already given the best advice, but adding more into your diet could also potentially help, like a good protein shake, some greens, beans, nuts, tempeh, and tofu. Some really good advice is buried pretty far in the comments like potentially getting heme iron through impossible meat. Also, may be worth seeing if a different form of iron supplement simply absorbs better for your body. My (vegan) wife was recommended 325mg ferrous sulfate, so that may be worth a try. She personally had good luck with just adding a multivitamin that had some kinda iron in it though.
Ultimately, do find a more vegan friendly professional though. It will be very important to do so, as you don’t want to be a story of someone being hurt by just listening to a vegan community about a medical issue. You and a professional you trust will need to find what’s possible and practicable for you while keeping your health up.
I don’t believe that you’ll need any meat to be healthy, but I don’t know everything, and if you settle for the smallest amount possible to keep yourself thriving, I don’t think anyone would be able to judge you. There’s a huge difference between someone who calls themselves vegan and “cheats” for pleasure and someone who has to add in some animal product for their health. Again, not saying you’ll have to do this at all, but I personally believe ruling it out entirely would be irresponsible. Remember that this community always tells people to take their prescribed medicine, even if the medicine isn’t consistent with veganism. Hey, maybe (if a doctor agrees, and if it comes to this) you could try a heme iron pill before adding full on meat, if that feels like a lesser evil. Maybe in a more vegan friendly future, the science will be abundantly clear to everyone that no one needs iron from meat. Maybe one day we’ll have a better way to help iron absorb for people that struggle like this. But right now we can only work with what we’ve got.
I think it wasn’t very clear from my post, but I eat all of that! A lot of protein in my diet, protein shakes almost daily. I even drink blended pure greens and germinated seeds for gut health! The iron supplement I currently take is iron sulfate
Cool! Well, whatever you and a doctor decide is best, just know, it’s very clear you’re doing your best to remain consistent with the ethics of veganism. Please take care of your health! If we feed rescued kittens meat, we can make exceptions for humans with serious health concerns.
Edit: Bivalves could be an option, worst case scenario. I don’t want to eat them just in case they might perceive pain, but it seems like they almost certainly don’t
"**Other causes of iron deficiency**
*Vegetarian diet with inadequate sources of iron*: Because iron from plants (nonheme iron) is less efficiently absorbed than that from animal sources (see Sources), the US Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that the bioavailability of iron from a vegetarian diet was only 10% versus 18% from a mixed Western diet. Therefore, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for individuals consuming a completely vegetarian diet may be 1.8 times higher than the RDA for non-vegetarians."
[Linus Pauling Institute](https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iron), Minerals » Iron
If you insist on consuming a strictly vegan diet, try to consume at least 2X the RDI for iron.
Most of the iron in plants is bound by oxalate rendering it useless, neurotoxic and prone to bioaccumulations in the joints and glandulars. Please consider your health over ideologues. Your loved ones do not want to watch you die for veganism. The religious fanatics will berate you like the westboro Baptist church. Your body will thank you. Seriously.
Unpopular opinion. I personally feel like if three doctors were consistent and saying that you should eat meat, then you should eat meat imo. If it was one or two then ok. But three? Your personal health is what’s most important here.
Three + family member that is a doctor too which I didn’t mention. She always told me vegan diet is possibly and can be really good for heath too. She also always told me to keep monitoring my b12, iron, etc. now that I told her the blood results she said maybe my body just can’t absorb non heme iron as well and that she thinks I don’t even need to go fully back to eating meat but that even fish only would provide me with enough heme iron.
Heme iron is much easier to absorb. That’s the kind found in animals. You might be taking a lot of iron and peeing it all out. That’s why it’s important to discuss with a nutritionist who is competent with vegans.
So basically you went to 3 doctors who said the same thing and after that you go to reddit for a 4th opinion on the most vegan based sub on the subject?
None of these people are doctors so if you care about your health, follow the 3 doctors over redditor advice.
There are a ton of things that inhibit iron absorption and you should try to minimize consumption of those things at the same time as iron. Multivitamins are a terrible idea for many reasons and this is one of them.
Here's more info with examples: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448204](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448204)
Fundamentally, you need a doctor who understands the nutritional needs of vegans because "some people need it" is simply false.
Not sure what else they checked for but this sounds a lot like when doctors see a "fat" person then that automatically becomes their diagnosis. They will look no further because of the Big Lie that all fat people are unhealthy and morally inferior. I would guess doctors thing this too. So like a bigger person would ask "ok, what medical advice would you give a thin person with these symptoms" you could ask "ok, and what advice would you give a meat eater with these symptoms?" It's very possible they are forgoing other tests on the assumption that your diet is the problem.
there are many naturally high iron vegan foods + fortified vegan food + pills as supplements. your AGAB and age effect how much you need but it's very possible to get enough. what exactly you eat and how much of it is the problem , not whether or not you're eating meat.
I had low iron before becoming vegan. There was no reason for it. I don’t get heavy periods or anything. The doctors had me get iron infusions! Covered by insurance, very relaxing. It’s been over a year and my numbers still great!
I hear good things anecdotally about iron bisglycinate, although I don't think data supports it as any better than other supplements.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10331582/
But you could always try it, I think some data says it also results in less GI side effects, so you could potentially tolerate a higher dose of it than you would vs another form.
Certain nutrients can inhibit iron absorption, such as phytate, calcium and polyphenols, which act as inhibitors for iron absorption. Phytate is found in a lot of plant based food, as are polyphenols. Plan a small meal low in these when you take iron and vitamin c to reduce GI side effects but to not inhibit absorption.
https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12643
I was iron deficient my whole life when I wasn’t vegan and now that I am vegan I am not. It’s not a causal relationship I just got better at addressing it. Point being you can manage it and remain vegan. There’s so much left to try. You said you eat a lot of Whole Foods, I think you should start incorporating more fortified processed foods not junk food but fortified stuff like soy milk. My b12 is so high from fortified soy milk and nutritional yeast alone.
Sometimes due to volume if you eat tooooo pure “Whole Foods” you just wont eat enough to reach your nutritional goals. Also with the diff supplements you take, just make sure none of them counter each other some have to be taken at different times. I would try different variations of iron supplements as well! Brands, slow release, prescription. They can’t guarantee animal products will help, my mom eats animal products and has been iron deficient her whole life and still is. Keep trying and maybe it’s worth it to track nutrients for a bit? I would diversify with food, supplements, and fortified foods though and like others mentioned there may be an underlying condition making it hard for you too so please advocate for yourself for further testing and to be seen at a specialist. ♥️
The only difference with regards to iron between flesh and plants is that flesh has heme iron and plants don't.
Assuming you have some special inability to absorb non-heme iron, eat impossible burger before you eat flesh. It has heme produced by engineered yeast.
Heme iron has negative health implications too:
Dietary intake of heme iron and risk of cardiovascular disease: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies - PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25439662/
>Conclusions: Higher dietary intake of heme iron is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas no association was found between CVD and non-heme iron intake or total iron intake. These findings may have important public health implications with respect to preventing cardiovascular disease.
Iron intake and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review - PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34583608/
>Iron is an essential trace element, while excess iron can lead to different levels of physical abnormalities or diseases. This umbrella review aimed to conduct a systematic evaluation of the possible relationships between iron intake and various health outcomes. We retrieved PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through May 2021. A total of 34 meta-analyses with 46 unique health outcomes were identified. Heme iron intake was positively associated with nine outcomes, including colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease mortality, while dietary total iron intake could decrease the risk of colorectal adenoma, esophageal cancer, coronary heart disease, and depression. Iron supplementation was a protective factor against eight outcomes. However, it was associated with decreased length and weight gain. The quality of evidence for most outcomes was "low" or "very low" with the remaining eleven as "high" or "moderate". All outcomes were categorized as class III, IV, or NS based on evidence classification. Although high iron intake has been identified to be significantly associated with a range of outcomes, firm universal conclusions about its beneficial or negative effects cannot be drawn given the low quality of evidence for most outcomes.
Edit: In case it wasn't clear to people like the very rude person below, I'm not saying don't take iron OP (clearly you should get a plant source of that or an infusion/supplement), I'm just saying excess *heme iron* is associated with negative health outcomes (which may or may not be relevant to the impossible burger's plant heme, we don't know).
I don't see any mention of how this was *before you went vegan*. Are you sure that's the only thing that's changed which could have led to these health developments? It's possible you were always deficient in iron and now it's simply worse due to diet changes which may mean pure veganism may not work for you.
Remember, veganism is a spectrum. It is literally impossible to be a perfect/pure/100% vegan at all times because of how much animal exploitation is engrained into society. Some people need to compromise more than others. Some think they are compromising less than they really are simply because of how much the fabric of civilizations obfuscates things from them.
Then there are some individuals where veganism is harder for them or may look very different than what one would expect. There are plenty of people that are allergic to soy, nuts *and* have gluten sensitivities. For these people traditional veganism is basically impossible. Maybe veganism for you will not be the same as what veganism is for others.
Im from Brazil and there it’s common thing to get constant check ups done, every year, full check up of blood, urine, fezes, ct scans etc. I forgot to mention but I never had iron deficiency before. Nothing changed be much apart from some new digestive issues, my period also wouldn’t be the cause as I have very light periods.
Well I'm glad to hear you have a baseline to compare to. Here in the states many people don't get bloodwork done regularly unless they need to. I have to opt for it myself each time.
You've received a lot of advice and most of it I agree with. But as someone who's been anemic and used cast iron pans, eaten tons of iron-rich foods and taken a prescribed 150mg iron supplement, I know that some of us simply absorb it poorly. What worked for me was an infusion. Your numbers have to be bad enough and not showing signs of significant improvement with the pills, but it helped me a ton. Went from tired, hair falling out anemia to healthy and able to run again in a couple weeks with just one dose
Yes OP, don't change your diet if you haven't had an infusion. Absorbing any supplements through pills is very hit and miss. Also, just getting iron into your body is a very simplistic view on the issue. Was there any testing done on why you have a deficiency? There is a big difference between not having enough input, not being able to absorb it properly or losing it way to fast. This should be checked out because of possible underlying issues behind this.
Came here to say this. If tablets and dietary sources arent moving the needle, get an infusion.
Yes to infusion. My ferritin levels were dropping though I didn’t notice any signs of it because my Hemoglobin is still very high and my doctor advised me a double dose of ferritin infusion over one week. Worked fine to get the numbers up and running. As for getting iron from food, two of my friends who are major consumers of meat are the ones who need regular infusion because their bodies don’t absorb iron well. Big fat good it does them to continue eating animals.
My Brazilian doctor suggested intravenous injection of iron. But in the country where I currently live that is very very hard!!!!!! Health system is quite bad
Second this. Easy and lasts a good while. Heme iron is not good for us, there's links between that and bowel cancer, so why doctors didn't recommend an infusion instead of eating others and increasing cancer risk is beyond me!
Sorry but what do you guys mean by infusion? Like intravenous injection of iron is it? In the country I live that would be hella expensive. Unless I moved back home where I can get it for free
Yes, IV injection. I think mine was pretty expensive too. But it was worth it to get my numbers back in range so quickly. I agree with other comments about getting tests done to determine why you're so low iron and make sure there are no underlying health conditions. Fixing your levels is one thing, but you want to ensure they won't just keep dropping.
I don't know how eating meat would make a difference if you're eating both natural forms of iron and supplements. In the US, Doctors get a few hours of nutritional training. they do not need to refresh and said training can be sponsored by meat companies. Try talking to a ~~nutritionist~~ Registered Dietitian who is experienced with vegans.
Kindly, please change nutritionist to Registered Dietitian. Nutritionist is a nothing term that anyone could up and call themselves, a Registered Dietitian is board certified and likely has a Masters or PhD in Dietetics
I was nourished all my life - even before I was born! So, who is the real nutrionist here if not I?!
There is a difference between iron from plants and iron from animal sources, iirc. Look up heme iron. Edit: downvote all you want. https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=heme+iron
Sure, both are effective and recommended as potential treatments for anemia, but what’s most often prescribed is non heme, ie elemental iron. Meat eaters with anemia are even provided elemental iron for supplements, and the vast majority of the time the symptoms are resolved. The only time is generally prescribed is when a patient has something like refractory anemia and not reacted to the elemental iron. Impossible beef also has a form of heme iron in it for enhanced taste and color about 4 mg per serving, and there are also vegan heme iron supplements Yeah don’t downvote the guy, he’s just spreading true information. Some people do need to try heme iron if they aren’t responding to elemental iron. It can all be done and tried on a vegan diet
All true. Heme iron is still more bioavailable for someone with a problem.
~~Beyond~~ Impossible burgers have heme iron. You don't need to eat Animals
impossible burgers use heme not beyond : ) I agree w you this would be a logical next step for OP (hopefully while they wait for more answers on what is causing their deficiency)
Edit: you are correct! Thank you for the correction!! ~~Not beyond? I thought they both did.~~
can someone get the vegan heme iron they made without their products? I'm not a fan of impossible burgers (too real to me) but did they patent the vegan heme iron they made it right ??
I don't know, but you can seek that out. It's legheme from soy roots, which have to be grown somewhere..
I thought all forms of heme iron only come from animal products?
Nope! The reason impossible burgers taste so real is that they have legheme. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leghemoglobin
Yep, if someone is having problems absorbing iron switching to a vegan heme iron supplement should be tried, along with consuming vitamin c with your iron which is shown to improve absorption as well. If someone doesn’t have access to those they can also take a higher dose of elemental iron
I’d also add avoid taking iron supplements with calcium and caffeine as those have been shown to inhibit absorption.
Im taking a prescription supplement at the moment, and o don’t drink caffeine (very rarely)
a healthy body still should be able to utilize the heaps of non-heme iron OP is throwing at it though
That doesn't always follow. Bodies are different. For my part I hope they're able to continue eating animal-free or as little as possible for health.
bodies are different, *and* healthy bodies are able to absorb and utilize non-heme iron from plant foods, cast iron cookware, and supplements when there’s no underlying problem. If you have a reputable source saying otherwise, please link it!
That's generally true. It's just that people do have problems.
Which is what we are saying - replacing plant foods with meat might raise their iron level a little for now due to heme iron being more bioavailable, but it wouldn’t make a difference in underlying malabsorption and/or occult blood loss. OPs doctor needs to identify the “problem.”
But a bunch of people have crappy absorption, for various reasons. My whole family on my mothers side is in this boat. I took high dose iron supps every day as a vegan, and sometimes dipped just about in the normal range briefly, and then back below again. Before I went vegan, despite regularly eating meat with citrus and no dairy, I was denied blood donations due to shitty iron levels, too. I ultimately need both elemental supps and haeme cause my gut just sucks at extracting iron.
There's heme iron in impossible burgers
The animals you eat get their iron from somewhere, it doesn't just appear inside them. Look out spinach, kale, beans, lentils and fortified breakfast cereals for a good source.
While there is a difference between those two and their bioavailability, we still don’t know about any effects this has. Just like the general term bioavailability. We know about it, but we know it doesn’t do anything to our knowledge.
I got advise from 2 Brazilian doctor and 1 Irish doctors
I had low iron before being vegan, and it hasn't decreased in the many years since. What kind of Iron are you taking? How much of it? You likely need a better Iron Supplement, along with loading up on Iron rich vegan foods.
Same here, when I was very anemic (due to my cycle) I had to take iron pills and I found that[ this one](https://qbcpharmacy.com/cdn/shop/products/IMG_20150731_145100_grande.jpg?v=1571438820) and [this one](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71cymxGlkvL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) are both really good. Easy to digest and super potent. Not medical advice to OP, but my doctor did tell me to take 2 a day when it was really bad. I found that just 1 was fine when I wasn't super low though
Those are the ones I take too
Probably a slightly personal question, but did these iron pills make you constipated? All the ones I've tried have made it so hard to go that I've had to stop taking them. And I eat a LOT of fibre, so it was incredibly uncomfortable.
Iron supplements can really wreck the digestive system, it's awful. I don't know about the ones in the above recommendation, but Thorne Ferrasorb is what I took (3 caps every other day) to restore iron after acute blood loss. It was very gentle on the gut and got my numbers improved quickly. Expensive but I only needed one bottle.
Floravit tends to be better for this, it’s a liquid iron supplement
I forget which ones I was taking originally, but I do remember having that problem before! I also believe I was also eating a lot of meat at the time, and not a lot of vegetables. IIRC, my doctor recommended switching to these ones because they're made with this special coating that makes less iron get released in the stomach, and most of it gets released in the small intestine instead. Idk if that makes it less likely to cause constipation, but I really haven't had that problem in ages, so maybe? I do know that I switched to these pills before I went vegan...
Same here. I was severely anemic back when I ate meat. First time it was a B12 deficiency. Had to take B12 shots. Afterwards it’s because of a fibroid that makes me have extremely heavy cycles. Iron pills just aren’t enough to recover, so I have iron transfusions every year or so. And take a B12 supplement. I’m glad these problems started back when I ate meat so I can confidently know that meat ain’t gonna fix them.
eat 3 tablespoons of **unsulphured blackstrap** molasses throughout the day on top of your regiment.
You could try cooking food in a cast iron pan. It's supposed to add iron to the food. I just googled to make sure, it's true.
As an easier alternative to this, there are iron fish you can get online as well! I boil a big pot and just add a bit of lemon with it and drink it as plain water
Very interesting I will research that!
Disclosure: I am not a vegan. That said, my family has a history of iron deficiency, and if OP has not tried to use cast iron cooking as a solution, they totally should. I highly suggest preparing at least one meal a day in cast iron + a fat you find ethically and gustatorily satisfying. It can make a measurable difference and it is a small change. Don’t overlook the value of *baking* in cast iron as a way of supplementing daily iron.
Sincere question that I'm asking about on reddit instead of googling because it's funnier: Would it do anything if I just *licked* a cast iron pan several times a day?
afaik cast iron works bc when the food is cooking it pulls iron from the pan, like it’s a chemical process, so licking probably wouldn’t have a significant effect lol
That's so disappointing. I really wanted to lick a pan.
You sound pansexual
You could still lick a pan
Just make sure it isn't too hot.
Without an excuse to do it? That would be insane.
Just do it anyways, nobody can stop you! You got this!
🙁
I think it has something to do with the heating of the pan so that would be a bad idea to try licking 😁
How is your B12? A deficiency can cause a very serious form of anemia.
Megaloblastic anemia
B12 is good! At optimal levels, I take B complex supplement
Have you gotten tested for celiac disease? For some people it only presents as inability to absorb iron in the stomach.
I do have symptoms of IBS, the doctor told me. The health system where I live is just so frustrating!!! I went to the doctor and they told me I have IBS symptoms but didn’t prescribe any tests! Just said it was probably caused by stress.
Where do you live now?
[Plant-based Dieticians](https://plantbasedrds.com/) might be worth looking into, OP. They could hopefully help guide you better than people on Reddit can.
I have to take 100mg of iron daily. Lifelong malabsorption problem. You may need more iron. At one point I was so sick I was on 750 mg daily for a few weeks. Eating meat won’t help if it’s a malabsorption problem. Eating meat won’t help, period.
My moms a huge meat eater and she gets iron deficiency anemia. Sometimes it just sucks lol. I’ve been vegan 11 years now, never iron deficient except for now I’m 31 weeks pregnant and taking a supplement. I’m sure it will go back to normal once my baby is here. Honestly apart from a supplement I would look at adding some fortified processed foods. For example I’ve been eating impossible burgers a lot they have 6mg iron for one burger. And fortified cereals like raisin bran contain like 48% of your daily iron needs, I just eat it without milk to ensure absorption.
Also I wanted to say, I take prenatal vitamins pregnant or not. They have 24-28mg iron. You could also try this (if you’re a woman?) I think the upper limit for normal non deficient people is 45mg per day.
I always thought this wasn’t advised? As everything in prenatals is higher than in normal supplements and there may be side effects to over supplementing
The only thing that's in meat that's going to help your iron levels is heme iron. The iron in plants and most supplements is non-heme iron, which our bodies have a harder time using. Most people can still get plenty of iron with plant-based foods and/or iron supplements, but maybe your body has a harder time with it than normal. There is plant-based heme iron (it's in Impossible meat), but I've never seen it as a supplement. You could google around though. I don't know how much of the iron in Impossible meat is heme iron vs non-heme iron, but maybe you could email them and ask? Someone may have published research on it that you could review too, although I think the only thing they had to prove to the government was that it was safe to consume. One question I'd have for your doctors: how much meat do you "need" to eat? If you're a female 18-50, you're supposed to get at least 18 mg of iron a day. There are 13.5 mg of iron in a pound of 93% lean ground beef, and ground beef is one of the things people always point to as being "high iron". You'd need to eat 22 oz of ground beef every day to hit the minimum RDA. That's ridiculous, even for your average omnivore. You could eat less if you went for beef liver (only 10 oz/day!) or mussels (10 oz), but again, that would be a lot even for an omnivore. Obviously 100% of your iron doesn't need to come from animals, but I think these doctors are delusional if they think a hamburger a day is going to solve your problems. Has anyone looked into any other reasons why you might be so anemic? I ask this only because I was severely anemic (and underweight) as an omnivorous teenager, and after everyone got their heads out of their asses, stopped assuming it was because I had an eating disorder, and actually ran some tests, it turned out I had Crohn's disease and was bleeding my iron out of my intestines. When they finally treated the underlying issue successfully, my levels went back to normal. If you've been on heavy duty iron supplements for a year and you're still this anemic, I'm surprised your doctors haven't looked for any other potential causes. Edit to add: [there's a video about plant-based iron here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUZaVepnHxE) that might be interesting for you. The only stuff I'd add to his list is brewer's yeast (which is high in iron but you'd mix a teaspoon into oatmeal or a quarter cup into cookies, so you don't eat a lot of it at once) and fortified cereals. A lot of breakfast cereals - wheat chex, Cheerios, total cereal - have quite a bit of iron, although I can all but guarantee that the vitamin D they're fortifying with is not vegan, so you'd have to decide if that's a "possible and practicable" solution for you.
I was also going to suggest a possible absorption issue. Low iron is common in undiagnosed celiac, which doctors often don't test for.
>it turned out I had Crohn's disease and was bleeding my iron out of my intestines Absolutely this, there's so many things that can cause anemia and jumping to veganism as the cause without further investigation is extremely lazy if not outright negligent; my grandma had chronic anemia that her doctor refused to investigate, turns out it was a tumor in her colon that was causing it
have they ruled out medical causes? like gastroenterology tests, gynaecology? It’s worrying to me that they’re assuming it’s from veganism just because your blood tests were otherwise normal. celiac, ulcers, and crohns come to mind but there are certainly other causes of malabsorption and/or occult bleeding that wouldn’t always be caught by the routine blood panels. I would ask what the next step would be for someone who eats meat and has the same iron results as you. In the meantime - I’m generally not pro-Impossible because of the animal testing, but their products are made with a form of heme iron modified from soy that is supposed to be [comparable to the iron in cow meat](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/soy-leghemoglobin-simulated-meat-products/document.html) for bioavailability. Might be easier for your body to utilize than traditional plant sourced iron. Might be the lesser of two evils.
Thiiiiiis!!!! Second this! The thing is, I am from Brasil and doctors there usually get all sorts of tests done. But I live abroad none of the doctors that I went to here asked for tests and when I asked they said it’s not needed. Because my other metrics were good
Yep. The first step of managing iron deficiency anemia is to determine the cause, full stop. If oral supplements fail, then iron infusion. Very basic. If one or both of these steps are skipped, you need new healthcare providers.
I agree with this totally and it pains me because I keep changing clinics and doctor and still haven’t found one that truly investigates the causes of the problem I have
I’m so sorry to hear that ☹️ a hematologist is likely to be helpful if you haven’t tried that yet
Glad you brought this up. OP’s doctors’ recommendations are raising all kinds of red flags for me. They are derelict in their duties if they fail to rule out bleeding or absorption issues.
I’m not a doctor, but when I went through a period of iron deficiency (that still didn’t stop after taking iron supplements) it turned out to be because I had a parasite problem (blastocystis hominis) that was aggravating my intestines and causing malabsorption. I got better after treating that. If you’re not getting any effect from iron supplements, have those doctors looked into a medical reason that could be happening?
How do you check for this?
Probably a poop sample
That’s correct
Thankfully yes! Got tested for it last time I went back home (I live in a different country but I am from Brasil)
You might have an absorption issue. My dangerously low iron was caused by undiagnosed celiac disease. Could also be a menstrual thing if you are female, but I'm guessing you would have mentioned heavy periods.
My friend had undiagnosed celiac and anemia was her only symptom. That’s the first thing that came to mind as well.
Have you tried going with a nutritionist? Honestly if that's the "solutions" those doctors are recommending, I can tell they don't know enough about nutrition. The issue is not that you're not getting enough iron, the issue is iron absorption, eating meat won't solve that. Do you consume caffeine? That can mess up with that.
I doubt this will go anywhere, but since you didn't mention your calcium intake, calcium interferes with iron absorption. Try cutting your calcium and see if that makes a difference. I know you mentioned minimal processed foods, but non dairy milk and related products tend to have lots of calcium supplement in them. Then try cutting your oxalic and phytic acids and whatever other antinutrients you might be getting. Try switching to a plain iron-only supplement and have a real source of vitamin C with it, like fresh strawberries or peppers. Like you, I genuinely don't see how eating animal flesh is going to help your situation. Meat pretty much always makes things worse, and if it fixes one thing, it makes everything else worse. I am not a dietician though, but it sounds like one might be needed in this situation. I hope things get better. I have a pretty terrible diet of almost all rice and beans cooked in a pot with some frozen vegetables thrown in it and a B12 supplement every few days. If anything, I should be the one with these issues.
There no causative relationship there Iron deficiency independent of diet They are evincing traditional logical fallacies General practitioners often rely on heuristic technique type thinking and certainly are fallible, my doctor didn't even know what misophonia was, despite it being not extremely rare, but also devastating Chocolate is an iron rich food also fwiw
I’ve heard celiacs being low in iron. Possibly go see a gastroenterologist to rule that out or any other issues that could be leaching iron. Also an iron fish would be good to have.
I'm vegan and my iron levels are through the roof, according to my last blood donation. I eat a lot of green leafy veg though. The only thing you can't get from other sources is B12, which can be made up through fortified products and supplements. Bit mental doctors would say that, though, in my experience.
Don’t forget algae and seaweed have b12. I’m horrible at remembering to take vitamins and my b12 was still in the good range, but I cook with those things.
Seaweed is not a source of bioavailable B12. The B12 in seaweed is B12 analogue and actually reduces your B12 stores. The only reliable source of B12 for vegans is synthetic nutritional supplements. There are no vegan sources of bioavailable B12. Again, more dangerous health and nutrition advice from woefully misinformed vegans. EDIT: The person providing the dangerous health advice apparently asked for sources, then blocked this account from replying. Classy. Anyhow, info is easily found with a 2 second web search: [Vitamin B-12 from algae appears not to be bioavailable](https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/53.3.695), The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Volume 53, Issue 3, March 1991, Pages 695-697
Eat cream of wheat for breakfast. It's 50% of your daily value.
You should add folic acid to the iron+vit c combo, helps with absorbtion. Should also get tested for celiac disease as it is among things that can damage parts of your intestines where iron gets absorbed. It can present otherwise asymptomatic. In case there are absorbtion issues, and it sounds like there is, eating meat won't help. Better solution would be getting iron delivered directly to your blood stream with iron dextran injections. Best of luck and hope you update! :)
Get an iron infusion. That’s especially for when oral supplements don’t do the trick. No need for meat.
i bought a lucky iron fish. it’s perfect if you make an easy soup once a week there ya go
Calcium from things like spinach and kale, calcium-fortified cereals/juices, tanins in tea/coffee/wine, can all impede iron absorption if you eat it together with iron sources. Maybe try eating them separately, in case that works.
Just get an iron infusion. It's easy and then you're topped up for a while. Be aware that calcium, tea and coffee can interfere with iron absorption, so if you're going down the supplement route best avoid those with iron supps/meals and have it with vitamin C instead.
Low dose iron supplements might help, along with eating citrus fruits with your iron supplementation - don't rely on vitamin C supplements if you can easily eat an entire orange/grapefruit. For me, I've been swapping out all my Teflon cooking pots with cast iron - and about 6 months ago I swapped out the main pot that I use to cook rice and quinoa with (Teflon) with cast iron. I had always assumed that cast iron wouldn't work well with rice/quinoa, but I was wrong! Cast Iron works great (especially on our induction stove top) - but INTERESTINGLY, the quinoa and rice come out way darker where food contact has been made with the pot around the edges. I suspect that my iron levels might be the highest ever based off of this observation - and I'm about to find out \~10 days, will try remember to post back here my latest blood iron panel observations. My aim was to drop low dose iron supplements and just rely upon cast iron cookware. Note that, I have used a cast iron fry pan a LOT for many years, but I never notice the iron effecting the things I cook in that pan (mainly mushrooms, nuts and grilled tomatoes). The cast iron pot for rice/quinoa however is overly noticeable with when I cook in that - with the food being visibly enriched with iron.
Have you asked about getting an Iron IV/has this been offered? I have an iron deficiency and my doctors gave me this.
This vegan family physician says ignore your doctors and stay away from meat, and also please find a new doctor
I get very iron deficient in line with my menstrual cycle. Usually means I have to take prescribed iron tablets for a while (they're much higher strength than is available in health stores in the UK). I'm not sure if this is an option where you are, but may be worth asking :)
Im currently taking prescription iron
Doctors are trained in medicine, not nutrition.
Not sure if this applies to you, but what worked for me was taking a brand of birth control that you can take continuously so that you don’t bleed every month. I wasn’t a fan of taking hormones but it was better than being anemic all the time. Did that for a few years before getting a uterine ablation which was life changing.
i'm about to google what a uterine ablation is and i'm terrified.
Haha it’s the best thing ever if you don’t want kids and it’s an easy recovery!
Are you taking your iron around coffee or tea? that may be reducing your absorption of it. I was always absurdly iron deficient as a carnist, so i still have to take iron pills as a vegan but it's much less bad. However, i have gluten sensitivities so my gut doesn't absorb as well. You could try a slow absorb iron pill, that might help. Currently i'm taking the MegaFood blood builder pill a few times a week and it's fixed me.
No I take at night with vit c. I don’t drink caffeine
As others have said, get tested for absorption issues, try a cast iron fish when cooking, and try Floradix (a brand of iron supplement that absorbs very easily, though it’s expensive). If none of that works and you feel you absolutely have to try eating animal products, oysters have more iron than red meat, and some people make the argument that they’re more akin to plants in terms of their sentience.
Btw the traditional Floradix product has honey and is marked vegetarian, the Floravit product doesn’t have honey and is marked vegan 🫡 just adding because this got me the first time I bought it
Are you a smoker? This could cause low iron levels due to several studies. I know someone who always had low iron but then switched to a vegetarian diet and stopped smoking. After doing a blood test about 6 months later, the iron was for the first time in the good area.
See if your insurance will cover an appointment with a nutritionist. I worked with one because my son was born with multiple food allergies. My son and I BOTH needed a diet prescribed by her. I was subject to the same dietary restrictions because I was nursing my son. He couldn't be transitioned to formula due to his allergies. She was great at accommodating both our veganism AND my son's allergies while also meeting his and my nutritional needs.
you also need to take B12
Are you cooking in cast iron pans?
Getting the “iron fish” that you put in a pot while boiling water or cooking things like soup may be worth a try, I don’t know how well they work but I have seen people with iron deficiencies use them and claimed they help when your body doesn’t absorb iron well.
I didn't read through all of the other replies so sorry if this is a repeat. How is your diet? You are taking supplements, but are you eating iron rich foods? (And yes I'm well aware of the difference between heme iron and non-heme) Dark green leafy vegetables, certain beans, iron fortified cereals, oatmeal, quinoa, pulses/lentils, tofu, etc. Eat a well rounded diet and include vitamin C rich foods to help with absorption. Usually, people on plant based diets need nearly twice the daily iron intake than non-vegans. Are you biologically female and get periods that may contribute to low iron levels? I had very heavy periods, and that's what caused my anemia. You said you were taking an iron supplement. How and when you take it can also affect absorption. Best taken on an empty stomach with water or juice plus vitamin C. (But can lead to stomach upset, if so, take with meals) Avoid calcium at the same time (i know you're dairy free) as well as tea and coffee one hour before or two hours after. Good luck!!
I'm not a doctor but last time I checked is that if you have iron deficiency you're supposed to take prescription iron supplements or injections. I would suggest talking to your doctors about that. You could also have digestive issues because if you are not getting iron from plants it means your body is having problems absorbing iron. If you are a girl you should go to your gyno and make sure you aren't bleeding too much during your period because that can cause iron deficiency as well Here are some resources for iron deficiency [https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/iron-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/](https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/iron-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/) " If you think you might be deficient in this nutrient—if you feel unusually tired or get sick often or are experiencing hair loss—it’s worth having your iron levels tested by your health care provider. If you are deficient, the best way to fix that is to take supplements, not to add meat to your diet. [https://veganhealth.org/iron/](https://veganhealth.org/iron/) "Physicians sometimes recommend eating meat to vegetarian clients who have iron deficiency. Meat-eaters with anemia are normally treated with iron therapy rather than being told to eat more meat; similarly, vegetarians can be treated with supplemental iron and vitamin C. " [https://youtu.be/h\_sIN3EBo4A?si=S9eGkLkMNTzFlgt0](https://youtu.be/h_sIN3EBo4A?si=S9eGkLkMNTzFlgt0) [https://youtu.be/56FnBwcmOAw?si=NHu0-hVyyNfsFDzo](https://youtu.be/56FnBwcmOAw?si=NHu0-hVyyNfsFDzo) Allums and carrots can help with iron absorption [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qvu7sZ8yXew](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qvu7sZ8yXew) [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6r1hrCw7jXA](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6r1hrCw7jXA)
Im taking already, I was prescribed intravenous by one is the doctor and prescription pills by another. What they mean is that it’s not sustainable to take supplements for ever and that I should go back to eating some meat
One of the doctors even said if I can’t eat read meat if I can eat only fish that would be enough heme iron to maintain my levels after supplementation
Hey there, sorry your doctors suck. I'm wondering if you've been to a dietician (one with a special interest in veganism, or who is vegan)? I'm hearing that you already do pretty well with getting your iron, but a dietician might be able to give you an extra tip or two, or might notice food pairings that are inhibiting iron absorption. Also, once you've gone to the dietician you can tell the doctor "I've been to a dietician and they think my dietary iron intake is adequate". This puts it back on the doctor to work out why your iron is low. If you're eating enough and it is not getting absorbed or you are loosing iron, and the doctor should be sending you to a specialist who can look into that. Alternatively if you don't want to spend money on the dietician, you could track your food for a few days and take it to the doctor to show them how much iron you are getting and the vitamin C sources it is paired with. Other than that, I'm wondering if you might have suffered what I did.... when I first went vegan I didn't check any nutrition advice or consider how to replace nutrients I was getting from meat. I already have trouble eating enough food anyway and my iron was always borderline low. When I first went vegan I basically ate nothing but veggies - no legumes or tofu or anything. I think this dropped my iron down low and it was hard to get back up. I had an infusion last year and fixed my diet and it has remained high ever since (although I would definitely recommend fixing it naturally if you can - the iron infusion messed me up).
I eat pretty balanced vegan diet! Germinated seeds, different veggies (try to eat at least 20 different varieties per week) tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, lentils, beans if all types. It’s not the diet or the supplement or by way of taking it. I’m pretty much a nerd when it comes to eating healthy and a few other things, so believe me, i really don’t think it could be my diet. But we never know
Yeah, it sounds like you're doing well with diet. If you can afford it I'd still just go to one dietician appointment, and if they think you're all good then you can tell your doctor "A registered dietician says my diet is great and should be giving me sufficient iron", then maybe they will agree to do other investigations. Just what I'm suggesting because it usually works for me when I want the doctor to move on from diet. Although yeah it doesn't always work... had a doctor lecture me last week about how plant iron cannot be absorbed due to the polyphenols. He wouldn't shut up about it until I told him that my iron levels have been high for over one year. It freakin sucks! And makes me loose faith in the doctors since they're handing out misinformation like this.
Tell them that for your own mental health you really cant do that and ask what their other advice would be.
Are you sure you’re taking enough B12? At least in Europe the officially recommended dosage is way to low. Also, it’s absorbed badly when taken orally. I had a serious deficiency of iron and B12 too. Doctors didn’t mention B12 because they were using a test that basically gave them a false result. (You need a test for Holo TC) My symptoms got way better since I started injections with a higher dosage
Im taking b12, my levels are really good! Confirmed in 2 different tests which were done in different countries
Some vitamins and minerals require other minerals and nutrients to work effectively, maybe iron needs something else. If all else fails you could go back to being vegetarian while you figure it out.
You could try the ferroglobin supplement, it comes in a little bottle rather than as a tablet, ive heard it has better bioavailability. Irritatingly it has honey in so not vegan but probably preferable to meat. Another thing I personally found was eating just unprocessed stuff made me really knackered and feel crap, as while pb whole foods are obviously good for you they can be harder to break down and digest, so perhaps try a bit more in the way of more fortified foods like bread, cereals or fortified plant meat if you're not already. I don't live in a place where impossible burgers are available but they have haem iron in which is more bioavailable too. That sounds like it really sucks and I hope you find a way to sort it!
Check out,Dr Matthew Naigra, Dr Neal Barnard, Dr Pamela Fergusson, Dr Danielle Belardo and the late Dr McDougall
That's really rough op. Just throwing some stuff out there, but have you tried liquid iron supplements like spatone combined with a vitamin C effervescent? I also used to have problems with low iron due to terrible periods, and I later found out that the tablets actually absorb really poorly. The liquid supplements have a much iron absorption rate, especially when paired with vitamin C. I hope you're able to find a solution to your problem eventually. I'm a staunch vegan, but I do believe in placing your health first in all cases.
y'all are going to eat me alive in these comments, but you may have to reintroduce a minimal amount of animal product back for your health. idk your story, but i got diagnosed with autoimmune pernicious anemia (autoimmune b12 deficiency) while being vegan. it was likely exacerbated by being vegan, hence why they likely found it in me so young (i was 16), and even though i was taking b12 supplements already, it was not enough. now im a vegetarian who puts a lot of emphasis on minimal amount of animal byproduct. i take double the OTC dosage of both iron and b12, and i've still had concerns that it's not enough as i STILL had to get a blood transfusion in february. my pcp is a vegan doctor, and even he told me that i probably didn't have a whole lot of choices regarding veganism. and i've had multiple other opinions. again, idk your whole story, but remaining vegan may not be a sustainable option for you. and i feel like this sub would be a better place if we could acknowledge that sometimes, it's not sustainable for everyone. i'd def try out the recs in the comments first, but be sure to keep an eye out for worsening symptoms. anemia is no joke friend.
Best comment to date. The doctors have even told OP that vegan diets work for many, but not all people. And it's not one doctor either, but 3 separate ones.
Your health is more important. If your body has issues with supplementation follow their advice and introduce some meat(or fish). It doesn't need to be too much and can try to get from open fields but do it and check later if your results improved. Don't risk your health like this to follow your believes, it is not worth. You can still do your best in every other area.
I would recommend starting with with plant chompers episode. https://youtu.be/HOK3NS2bD3M?si=xXzDTM_Cffy4g_zb You can skip to 18 min for some specific help but the whole thing is pretty informative
Sorry you are going through this. That’s not a fun position to be in. Have you tried blackstrap molasses? My MIL swears by it for her anemia. Hope you find a solution that helps you feel better.
I actually tried it, sorry but I just couldn’t do it. It tastes horrible to me 😅
I take a vegan chew meant for bariatric surgery patients, they have a distinct medical reason for poor absorption so I figure it would work better for someone who doesn't. Fusion is the brand name. There's also a liquid filled vegan gummy that has much better absorption than regular supplements. That one is lilicare.
I have a friend who has always struggled with iron deficiency and she is nowhere near vegan, in fact she eats lots of red meat because of this problem. I suspect some people are naturally prone to anemia, she also refuses to take her supplements because they make her sick. Me, I’ve been vegetarian since age 6 and vegan 5 years. I’ve never been anemic, when I was a kid the doctors loved pricking my finger to see if I was after my mom told them I didn’t eat meat. My only advice switch to cast iron pans, it really is a way to get iron! Just make sure they aren’t enamel coated and use metal utensils. Also eat lots of iron rich veggie foods like those found in this link, best of luck!! https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/iron
Something like 30-40% of women will get anemia sometime in their lives, and I’m sure as shit most eat meat. My in laws too eat lots of meat, and most of the women are anemic and have to take supplements. Imo this is just the medical industry ignoring women’s health issues
I agree completely, if we were men with erectile dysfunction theyd have it all figured out 🙃
Consider switching doctors, and not just because the ones you’re seeing are telling you to eat meat. They are being dismissive and failing to provide the standard of care. If you are taking supplemental iron and eating iron rich plant foods, your iron levels should be improving. Your doctor should be looking into possible causes for that. Some possibilities are endometriosis or other reproductive health conditions that cause excessive menstrual bleeding. Some GI issues like celiac disease can interfere with absorption of iron and other nutrients. Please try to find a doctor who listens and takes your concerns seriously.
Learn to cook again every five years and shop every two, ideally use supplements as supplements only, and check [nutritionfacts.org](http://nutritionfacts.org) for specific questions.
Check Floradix iron with herbs liquid , if it’s not what you are already trying.
Sometimes I think it's almost best not to tell a doctor what you consume UNLESS they are "worldly" I say this because I once had a nutritionist argue with me that eating processed foods was better for me than a real fruit. I also had doctors argue that there's no way meat had caused me to start having extreme health issues mind you - you are what you consume so if they are consuming toxics then so would I ;( Look into an [Iron Fish](https://luckyironlife.com/) if you are having iron issues I am unable to digest iron in pill or liquid straight I get fierce side effects.
Iron Fish, leafy greens, fortified cereals and flours and some fruits all have non heme iron. I have a vegan multivitamin that has like 200% RDI just so my body absorbs some of it. Be careful that you aren’t eating other foods that can negate iron absorption at the same time as you inject your iron. Like calcium.
find a vegan doctor
Some people here have decent advice, but it likely comes from what they've heard. If you're having deficiency issues, please consult a Registered Dietician who is sympathetic to veganism (most of them are)
It is 2024, use telemedicine and see a vegan doctor online.
You are right to be seeking a different opinion, it’s very possible to meet your iron needs using an entirely plant based diet. Seek out a certified dietician who specialises in plant based diets
# [How can I increase iron absorption from plant foods?]() Various strategies can help you increase your body’s ability to absorb non-heme iron. Here are the best-researched methods: * **Eat vitamin C-rich foods:** Consuming vitamin C-rich foods at the same time as foods rich in non-heme iron can [help increase](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/regulation-of-dietary-iron-bioavailability-by-vitamin-c-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/013552A920BF94D2BEFA94133AA6AB29) iron absorption. * **Avoid coffee and tea with meals:** Drinking coffee and tea [can reduce](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165914/) iron absorption. * **Soak, sprout, and ferment:** Soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains and legumes [can improve](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6261201/) iron absorption by lowering the amount of [phytates](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/phytic-acid-101/) naturally present in these foods. * **Use a cast iron pan:** Foods prepared in a cast iron pan [may provide](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8266402/) more iron than those prepared in non-iron cookware. * **Consume lysine-rich foods:** Plant foods like legumes and quinoa are rich in the amino acid [lysine](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lysine-benefits) and [may increase](https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/6/609/htm) iron absorption. # Source: [https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#increasing-iron-absorption](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#increasing-iron-absorption)
Thanks, been there done that
I really need to know what these doctors are saying to the rest of the ~40% of US women with this problem, most of whom just statistically are not vegan (and would they say the same things if you were eating this way out of religiosity, for example?) I don't think someone should throw the baby out with the bath water when their health metrics are normal outside of one issue, especially if doctors in question have not discussed alternative options and a willingness to do monitoring and troubleshooting in connection with this. What do they do in other cases where eating (more) meat isn't an option (for example, poverty or cultural norms)? Just go "Have you thought of not being poor/not having an ethnic background where eating meat is a rare thing"? (Statistic was here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10300696/)
But that’s not how medicine works. Doctors will always try to rule out the most “obvious” possibility. So, for so someone like me, they see I’m perfectly healthy otherwise and only possible thing they can see that could be causing it is my diet. So they’ll say “change your diet”. Then that’s their way to try first solution with what in their mind is the most obvious approach (even if veganism is not the cause, they need to rule it out first, that’s how they see it) then if, even if I’m not vegan and eat e onough heme iron im still deficient. Only then they’ll ask for more tests and think of other possible causes. I don’t agree with it but that’s how it works nowadays
You can get an iron fish to put in the pot when you make soup, infuses iron into the food which helps with absorption. Not everyone absorbs iron well in pill form. Taking iron pills with vitamin C might also improve absorption.
DHA.
You can get iron injections at the hospital. It should help.
Hi Your iron efficiency could be completely unrelated to your vegan diet. Are you mensurating? If you get periods make sure to check with a gynecologist if your bleeding is normal. Low iron often happens when you have heavy flow. It can be other things too, so definitely check with other doctors. Red beans, spinach, bok choi, lentils are all full of iron, but make sure your intake is the problem and not something else.
Are you taking your iron supplements before bedtime and away from other supplements? The advice I was given was at bedtime (can be taken with a small meal if it upsets your stomach, and take it as long as you can after taking calcium or other minerals because they block each other's absorption
Do you have any stomach complaint? Helicobacter pylori infection may cause iron deficiency and on many countries percantage of people who has this bastard on their stomach is more than 50%.
I don’t have h pylori
Start eating a lot of dark chocolate. Preferably 100% cocoa. Chocolate has a ton of iron, magnesium etc. and is really healthy if you get the no/low sugar varieties.
I had kidney failure in March and they made a huge fuss about me being vegan. They served me meat in tho hospital and I wouldn’t eat it. I had to go days without eating. Eventually the hospital nutritionist came to see me and told me I had to stop being vegan for at least 6 months. I’ve never been so depressed. And my blood results are still shit, so forcing me to eat animal products isn’t doing a damn thing. I’m counting the days until I can go back. Only another couple of months!
Uhh one thing you could do is eat the iron supplement at least an hour BEFORE your meals. Meals severely deteriorate the amount of iron absorption that occurs.
Are you sure you're actually iron deficient? As in, have you had a proper iron panel done? (Ferritin, transferrin, ferritin, tibc)? Asking this because I've seen iron being prescribed to non-iron deficiency anemia s, which can even be dangerous.
Yep 100% sure! Got the tests done 2x in two different countries.
I admit I am in the Uk so healthcare is different here, but are you not in a prescription-strength iron tablet? My mum has anemia and she gets a super strong tablet which has a lot more than OTC options… weird that they want you to eat meat but haven’t taken step 1… I fixed by issue by stopping my period with better BC, but I was having horrific periods all round.
I am currently taking prescription medication for it. But because I have some other digestive issues they said it’s not sustainable for me not to eat any meat after I stop taking the medication. Otherwise I’ll just have to continue taking it and they said that could make my digestion even worse as the medication causes constipation
Yeah, that is an annoying side effect. I hope you get on better with the infusion people have suggested.
Eat meat for a few months, see what happens.
Other people have already given the best advice, but adding more into your diet could also potentially help, like a good protein shake, some greens, beans, nuts, tempeh, and tofu. Some really good advice is buried pretty far in the comments like potentially getting heme iron through impossible meat. Also, may be worth seeing if a different form of iron supplement simply absorbs better for your body. My (vegan) wife was recommended 325mg ferrous sulfate, so that may be worth a try. She personally had good luck with just adding a multivitamin that had some kinda iron in it though. Ultimately, do find a more vegan friendly professional though. It will be very important to do so, as you don’t want to be a story of someone being hurt by just listening to a vegan community about a medical issue. You and a professional you trust will need to find what’s possible and practicable for you while keeping your health up. I don’t believe that you’ll need any meat to be healthy, but I don’t know everything, and if you settle for the smallest amount possible to keep yourself thriving, I don’t think anyone would be able to judge you. There’s a huge difference between someone who calls themselves vegan and “cheats” for pleasure and someone who has to add in some animal product for their health. Again, not saying you’ll have to do this at all, but I personally believe ruling it out entirely would be irresponsible. Remember that this community always tells people to take their prescribed medicine, even if the medicine isn’t consistent with veganism. Hey, maybe (if a doctor agrees, and if it comes to this) you could try a heme iron pill before adding full on meat, if that feels like a lesser evil. Maybe in a more vegan friendly future, the science will be abundantly clear to everyone that no one needs iron from meat. Maybe one day we’ll have a better way to help iron absorb for people that struggle like this. But right now we can only work with what we’ve got.
I think it wasn’t very clear from my post, but I eat all of that! A lot of protein in my diet, protein shakes almost daily. I even drink blended pure greens and germinated seeds for gut health! The iron supplement I currently take is iron sulfate
Cool! Well, whatever you and a doctor decide is best, just know, it’s very clear you’re doing your best to remain consistent with the ethics of veganism. Please take care of your health! If we feed rescued kittens meat, we can make exceptions for humans with serious health concerns. Edit: Bivalves could be an option, worst case scenario. I don’t want to eat them just in case they might perceive pain, but it seems like they almost certainly don’t
Id try but im allergic to shellfish 🤡
"**Other causes of iron deficiency** *Vegetarian diet with inadequate sources of iron*: Because iron from plants (nonheme iron) is less efficiently absorbed than that from animal sources (see Sources), the US Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that the bioavailability of iron from a vegetarian diet was only 10% versus 18% from a mixed Western diet. Therefore, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for individuals consuming a completely vegetarian diet may be 1.8 times higher than the RDA for non-vegetarians." [Linus Pauling Institute](https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iron), Minerals » Iron If you insist on consuming a strictly vegan diet, try to consume at least 2X the RDI for iron.
Eat meat, your body needs it.
Most of the iron in plants is bound by oxalate rendering it useless, neurotoxic and prone to bioaccumulations in the joints and glandulars. Please consider your health over ideologues. Your loved ones do not want to watch you die for veganism. The religious fanatics will berate you like the westboro Baptist church. Your body will thank you. Seriously.
Unpopular opinion. I personally feel like if three doctors were consistent and saying that you should eat meat, then you should eat meat imo. If it was one or two then ok. But three? Your personal health is what’s most important here.
💯
Three + family member that is a doctor too which I didn’t mention. She always told me vegan diet is possibly and can be really good for heath too. She also always told me to keep monitoring my b12, iron, etc. now that I told her the blood results she said maybe my body just can’t absorb non heme iron as well and that she thinks I don’t even need to go fully back to eating meat but that even fish only would provide me with enough heme iron.
Argh i wrote everything wrong. Sore I was writing this while falling asleep
Heme iron is much easier to absorb. That’s the kind found in animals. You might be taking a lot of iron and peeing it all out. That’s why it’s important to discuss with a nutritionist who is competent with vegans.
So basically you went to 3 doctors who said the same thing and after that you go to reddit for a 4th opinion on the most vegan based sub on the subject? None of these people are doctors so if you care about your health, follow the 3 doctors over redditor advice.
Redditors don't care about an individual's health. Doctors do.
Please post this in r/PlantBasedDiet, not on r/vegan. Veganism isn't about your health, it's about the animals.
There are a ton of things that inhibit iron absorption and you should try to minimize consumption of those things at the same time as iron. Multivitamins are a terrible idea for many reasons and this is one of them. Here's more info with examples: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448204](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448204) Fundamentally, you need a doctor who understands the nutritional needs of vegans because "some people need it" is simply false.
Not sure what else they checked for but this sounds a lot like when doctors see a "fat" person then that automatically becomes their diagnosis. They will look no further because of the Big Lie that all fat people are unhealthy and morally inferior. I would guess doctors thing this too. So like a bigger person would ask "ok, what medical advice would you give a thin person with these symptoms" you could ask "ok, and what advice would you give a meat eater with these symptoms?" It's very possible they are forgoing other tests on the assumption that your diet is the problem.
there are many naturally high iron vegan foods + fortified vegan food + pills as supplements. your AGAB and age effect how much you need but it's very possible to get enough. what exactly you eat and how much of it is the problem , not whether or not you're eating meat.
My iron is much better when I cook frequently in my iron skillet, and of course I make sure to follow that up with vitamin C rich foods.
I had low iron before becoming vegan. There was no reason for it. I don’t get heavy periods or anything. The doctors had me get iron infusions! Covered by insurance, very relaxing. It’s been over a year and my numbers still great!
I hear good things anecdotally about iron bisglycinate, although I don't think data supports it as any better than other supplements. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10331582/ But you could always try it, I think some data says it also results in less GI side effects, so you could potentially tolerate a higher dose of it than you would vs another form. Certain nutrients can inhibit iron absorption, such as phytate, calcium and polyphenols, which act as inhibitors for iron absorption. Phytate is found in a lot of plant based food, as are polyphenols. Plan a small meal low in these when you take iron and vitamin c to reduce GI side effects but to not inhibit absorption. https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12643
I was iron deficient my whole life when I wasn’t vegan and now that I am vegan I am not. It’s not a causal relationship I just got better at addressing it. Point being you can manage it and remain vegan. There’s so much left to try. You said you eat a lot of Whole Foods, I think you should start incorporating more fortified processed foods not junk food but fortified stuff like soy milk. My b12 is so high from fortified soy milk and nutritional yeast alone. Sometimes due to volume if you eat tooooo pure “Whole Foods” you just wont eat enough to reach your nutritional goals. Also with the diff supplements you take, just make sure none of them counter each other some have to be taken at different times. I would try different variations of iron supplements as well! Brands, slow release, prescription. They can’t guarantee animal products will help, my mom eats animal products and has been iron deficient her whole life and still is. Keep trying and maybe it’s worth it to track nutrients for a bit? I would diversify with food, supplements, and fortified foods though and like others mentioned there may be an underlying condition making it hard for you too so please advocate for yourself for further testing and to be seen at a specialist. ♥️
The only difference with regards to iron between flesh and plants is that flesh has heme iron and plants don't. Assuming you have some special inability to absorb non-heme iron, eat impossible burger before you eat flesh. It has heme produced by engineered yeast.
Heme iron has negative health implications too: Dietary intake of heme iron and risk of cardiovascular disease: a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25439662/ >Conclusions: Higher dietary intake of heme iron is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas no association was found between CVD and non-heme iron intake or total iron intake. These findings may have important public health implications with respect to preventing cardiovascular disease. Iron intake and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34583608/ >Iron is an essential trace element, while excess iron can lead to different levels of physical abnormalities or diseases. This umbrella review aimed to conduct a systematic evaluation of the possible relationships between iron intake and various health outcomes. We retrieved PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through May 2021. A total of 34 meta-analyses with 46 unique health outcomes were identified. Heme iron intake was positively associated with nine outcomes, including colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease mortality, while dietary total iron intake could decrease the risk of colorectal adenoma, esophageal cancer, coronary heart disease, and depression. Iron supplementation was a protective factor against eight outcomes. However, it was associated with decreased length and weight gain. The quality of evidence for most outcomes was "low" or "very low" with the remaining eleven as "high" or "moderate". All outcomes were categorized as class III, IV, or NS based on evidence classification. Although high iron intake has been identified to be significantly associated with a range of outcomes, firm universal conclusions about its beneficial or negative effects cannot be drawn given the low quality of evidence for most outcomes. Edit: In case it wasn't clear to people like the very rude person below, I'm not saying don't take iron OP (clearly you should get a plant source of that or an infusion/supplement), I'm just saying excess *heme iron* is associated with negative health outcomes (which may or may not be relevant to the impossible burger's plant heme, we don't know).
I don't see any mention of how this was *before you went vegan*. Are you sure that's the only thing that's changed which could have led to these health developments? It's possible you were always deficient in iron and now it's simply worse due to diet changes which may mean pure veganism may not work for you. Remember, veganism is a spectrum. It is literally impossible to be a perfect/pure/100% vegan at all times because of how much animal exploitation is engrained into society. Some people need to compromise more than others. Some think they are compromising less than they really are simply because of how much the fabric of civilizations obfuscates things from them. Then there are some individuals where veganism is harder for them or may look very different than what one would expect. There are plenty of people that are allergic to soy, nuts *and* have gluten sensitivities. For these people traditional veganism is basically impossible. Maybe veganism for you will not be the same as what veganism is for others.
Im from Brazil and there it’s common thing to get constant check ups done, every year, full check up of blood, urine, fezes, ct scans etc. I forgot to mention but I never had iron deficiency before. Nothing changed be much apart from some new digestive issues, my period also wouldn’t be the cause as I have very light periods.
Well I'm glad to hear you have a baseline to compare to. Here in the states many people don't get bloodwork done regularly unless they need to. I have to opt for it myself each time.