Iron Deficience Anemia and being vegetarian

[MrsKey]

Okay - you've all heard it. The gasps of horror when you tell people you don't eat meat. The assurances that you are missing important nutrients and that you will develop untold numbers of diseases.

Usually one of the ones at the top of the list is anemia from iron deficiency.

Well - I thought I'd share with you all an interesting story.

I did something really dumb. We ran into some pretty severe financial difficulties and I got lazy and we started eating meat again. Rather than go to the trouble of planning great meatless and meat-substitute free meals I copped out and I let my omni hubby talk me into eating meat.

Well, since we started eating meat in the house again I have gained 15 pounds and my iron deficiency anemia has become so severe that I am taking (with physician supervision of course) 130 mg of iron a day.

My gums and the insides of my eyelids are so pale they aren't even pink any longer - they are white.

I am suffering from horrible headaches, nausea, diarrhea, severe fatigue, insomnia, shortness of breath and heart palpiations.

All from iron deficiency anemia.

I have a chronic iron deficiency due to malabsorbtion of iron.

But when I was eating a vegetarian diet (close to vegan but not quite there yet) I was able to reduce my iron supplementation to just what was in my daily multivitamin.

In the three months since going back to eating meat the change in my health has been drastic and terrifying.

So here I am starting over again.

But the next time someone tells you that eating meat means you won't be iron deficient you can officially laugh in their face!

[Erin Pavlina]

Wow interesting story. Thanks for sharing that with us. :)

Welcome back to the veggie path.

[vegma]

Mrs.Key, I remember you! Welcome back! Sorry to hear you've been through rough times. Thanks for sharing your story...

[MrsKey]

Originally posted by vegma
Mrs.Key, I remember you! Welcome back! Sorry to hear you've been through rough times. Thanks for sharing your story...

Thanks Vegma and Erin.

Though the past several weeks have indeed been frought with some horrible health I look upon it as my penance for my own poor choices.

In choosing not to care for my temple properly and for not choosing to do what is right for the animals I brought this upon myself.

I will gladly accept this penance and embrace the lessons learned! I'm glad to be back on the veggie path!

Peace,

[mochamama]

Interesting story, Mrs Key!

Even the American Dietetic Association says the non-heme iron found in vegetables is less absorbable than the iron found in meat.

I've never had a problem, but my anemic neighbor says she can't be a vegetarian because her doctor orders her to eat red meat. Hmm, wonder what a good healthy vegetarian diet might do for her?

[ariix]

I've never had a problem, but my anemic neighbor says she can't be a vegetarian because her doctor orders her to eat red meat. Hmm, wonder what a good healthy vegetarian diet might do for her?
I used to have a low iron problem, at the time I ate dairy and eggs and occasionally chicken and fish, along with lots of fruits and vegetables.. But now that I'm vegan my iron level is always high! (I give blood regularly, so it gets checked on a regular basis.)
Her doctor ORDERS her to eat red meat?? :confused: When I had the problem my doctor just told me to take iron tablets (though I guess I must have told her that I was not a red meat eater and maybe that's why she recommended tablets...)
Anyway, my guess is that your neighbour would do great on a well-balanced vegan diet too... I think when you're eating well the reduced absorbability of the non-heme iron is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of iron that you get in a good vegan diet! (I say, after having just finished two bowls of sauteed swiss chard! :p )

[MrsKey]

Originally posted by mochamama
Interesting story, Mrs Key!

Even the American Dietetic Association says the non-heme iron found in vegetables is less absorbable than the iron found in meat.

I've never had a problem, but my anemic neighbor says she can't be a vegetarian because her doctor orders her to eat red meat. Hmm, wonder what a good healthy vegetarian diet might do for her?

Non-heme iron is less absorbable than heme iron found in meat. However, my personal experience is that I eat more fresh fruits and vegetables rich in both non-heme iron AND vitamin C which greatly increases the absorbtion rate for iron.

Also I eat far less calcium at the same time (meat and cheese just seem to go together). And since calcium inhibits iron absorbtion ...

My biggest complaint is that doctors (and lay people) tend to assume and promote the idea that you cannot be anemic if you eat a meat based diet and if you do not eat meat you will definitely be anemic.

When I ate meat I ate quite a lot of red meat loaded with heme iron sources and I was severely anemic.

When I ate a vegetarian diet I didn't have as severe a problem.

I think it is because as a vegetarian I am more likely to eat a large variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes ... foods rich in both iron and vitamin C.

[Lucy S]

I have my own iron/blood levels story. I am a carrier for a genetic trait that affects one of my hemoglobin genes, meaning my red blood cells end up being oddly shaped. So, I was always told, it was "natural" that my blood levels (hematocrit) would be lower than "normal", i.e. borderline anemic and that is indeed where they always were. Until I went vegan; since then, I am well within the "normal" range. Without supplements.

After the birth of my daughter, I lost a lot of blood. I was severely anemic. Although I had a midwife, a doctor had to be consulted. I was, subsequently prescribed *very* heavy doses of iron (along with meds to take care of the unpleasant side effects) and told that I would have to take it for at least a couple of months (because I didn't eat dead animals). My midwife (loved her) knew I wouldn't like that (and she wasn't keen on it either) so we tried a different approach - much lower doses of a vegan iron supplement & careful attention to diet. If I wasn't improving within a few days, I would go to the heavy iron doses.

I got better very rapidly. When I saw a hemotologist 2 months post-partum (for the blood trait issue) he was shocked at how well I had recovered from the hemmorhage (without even knowing that I had not followed the med doctor's advice).

I've known many people with chronic iron anemia problems. They have *always* been meat eaters.

[Zoesmama]

I ate meat all of my childhood except a little while in high school and still have been mildly anemic for awhile. ;)

I think its silly for someone to say its from lack of eating meat but then again even when I am eating meat I don't eat much because I don't really like it.