Is it possible to go vegitarian without an iron supliment? (for a female aged 20-40)?

Question

I am already trying to cut down on meat and I am pondering going vegitarian. I still eat dairy and eggs, it's only tetrapod (mammal, reptile, and bird) meat i'm considering quiting.

I am wondering whether i can do it without having to take iron or mineral supliments? And what foods i can increase my intake of instead?

Do you recon i can replace red meat with dark chocolate? Sure tastes better, but would it work? Iron content? Bioavailability? What about eggs? I have heard they are high in iron? RSPCA approved free-range of course ;-)

If i try it, how can i tell if i am low on iron?

Please only answer if you can cite a decent refrence or two, or genuinely are managing to do this yourself.

Tetrapod bird same place you get tetrapod snakes! The clasification is based on evolutionary relationship not morphology. Though they are no longer legs or feet, wings do count as a valid variation on the basic tetrapod body plan.

I giess should also mention a severe coffee adiction (I know it's bad for me but not willing to give it up) so possibly need to allow for that for iron absorbtion.

and guys, remember women have an iron leak from the age of 12 to 50, so what works for you may not work for a young-adult female.

Hey, call me a fishacrit if you like.

I used to just not eat primates or reptiles, but that never really came up because i don't get served much chimp. Now i've just expanded it a little.

If it's any consolation i don't eat sharks or rays (that includes fish fingers).

Answer 1

There's loads of Iron in stuff like cabbage and spinnach - you have to make sure you eat vitamin c (peas, peppers, oranges) to help your body absorb the iron


ps when did you see a tetrapod bird?

Answer 2

Vegetarians may have some problem absorbing iron. Some people can have severe health problems especially young females. The Solution is to eat either iron fortified foods like breakfast cereals or to eat naturally iron-rich foods like pulses and nuts. Wholegrain cereals like oats too contain iron. But the problem is that our body does not absorb iron so well as it would have from non-veg foods or meat. But don't worry, Vitamin C, found in great amounts in all fresh fruits like strawberries and citrus fruits, when eaten in accompaniment with iron rich vegetarian foods, promotes iron absorption a lot. So if you eat iron enriched wholegrain cereals with milk and covered with fresh sliced strawberries, you may get almost 55% of your recommended daily allowance. So no problem. I am vegetarian and has never been diagnosed as iron deficient since 16 years.

Answer 3

Half the India is vegetarian and they manage pretty well without meat or poultry or fish (even eggs)
All the green vegetables, dates and some of the fruits will do the trick for you but you still will be needed to take a professional advice and not depend on such a open forum.
Your haemoglobin count in blood tells you if your iron levels are OK or not.

Answer 4

Im vegetarian and Ive never needed to take an iron tablet. You get iron from a lot of dark green veg, like spinach which tastes great (and if it's good enuff for popeye...hehe)
Ive never really eaten red meat before becoming vegetarian anyway but for peace of mind you might want to take them its really up to you but I think as ling as you eat the right foods you can do without the supplement :)

Answer 5

Yeah i have been vegetarian for 14 years now and i have never needed an iron supplement. I have had my iron levels checked several times at the docs and I have never been deficient. I dont think there is much iron in eggs - its green leafy veg you need. If like me you arent keen on green leafy veg you can make a great spinach soup if you feel you need an iron boost! (one bag of spinach, one onion, one stock cube boiled for 15 mins and then blended). If you are iron deficienct - anemic (sp!) then you will become pale with pale gums, you will feel tired and run down.

WOuld love to tell you that dark choc is full of iron but its not im afraid!

Answer 6

You shouldn't need an iron supplement unless you have been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.

My wife is vegetarian and a Licensed Dietitian, she doesn't take any iron supplements.

If you really want an iron supplement that assimilates easily, use molasses. I have actually tested my blood iron level before and after taking a molasses a few days and the iron level goes up noticeably. I have done the same thing after eating other foods high in iron and saw no difference.

Answer 7

If you are eating a reasonably balanced and varied diet, there should be no need for any supplements, unless of course if your doctor says otherwise. You get everything you need from a good, plant-based diet.

As for the other question, the normal way to notice an iron deficiency is feeling tired or run-down fairly consistently. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Answer 8

Here is information on all the misconceptions about vegetarianism including iron. The protein scare is the biggest misconception about vegetarian diets. There are quite a bit of misconceptions so here are some web sites I think will help. The first is a list of vegetables with protein and how much the second are calcium sources in raw veggies. The third is an article about B12. It is actually a microbe found in soil and is abundant in seaweed, tempeh, miso, and root veggies. The last one is a list of foods with iron and how much.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/iron.htm

http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/calevel.html

http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html

Answer 9

Any vegetable that is dark green is likely to have a good source of iron in it. Check out the vegan society's website they have lots of information on where to get different vitamins and minerals from when not eating meat.

Answer 10

The whole *vegetarians need lots of supplements thing* is a complete myth. Meat eaters use this myth (and many others) so that they can easily dismiss vegetarianism.

Statistically, meat eaters and vegetarians are at the same risk for anemia. People lack nutrients, not specific foods. You should never take iron supplements unless you are iron deficient because the supplements could make you sick.

Here is a list of good iron sources for vegetarians.
http://www.vnv.org.au/Nutrients/Iron.htm


Also, here is a great website on helping people go vegetarian http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/fft/index.html
some more info on iron http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html and a chart on a balanced diet... think of it as the vegetarian food pyramid.
http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/fft/balance.html

Good luck
:)

EDIT- here is a link to signs and symptoms of anemia. Please notice that vegetarians is not a high-risk catagory. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000584.htmgory.

Answer 11

You know, some people have lots of parasites. These infestions can last a lifetime, because many people refuse to believe that they are infected, and therefore become reinfected over and over. Parasites untreated can cause anemia. That is a more likely cause for anemia in a vegetarian than lack of dietary iron.

Also, some say that systemic candida albicans infection can cause anemia.

You can get lots of bio-available dietary iron from certain raw foods on a vegan diet. There is no logical reason for a healthy vegetarian who eats plenty of these raw foods to remain anemic.

My two cents.