Question about mulitvitamins/iron/nutrition

[Aunty Social]

I just had my 16yo dd in for her well check, and the ped. recommended she start taking a woman's multivitamin with iron because a large number of teens and women are anemic. I tend to listen to his rec's pretty closely, because he's fairly conservative when it comes to dispensing medicine...but I'm not sure about the vitamin thing. I'm more of an "eat a healthy and balanced diet and you'll get all the nutrients you'll need" type of person. I don't really "believe" in vitamins. Plus, multivitamins make me sick to my stomach, so I've never given them to the kids.

 

Please, educate me about vitamins. What do they do that food can't? Should I start her on some? Or will making sure she eats enough/more of certain foods be enough? What kind should I get, and what should the percentages be? I know there are people here who know this kind of stuff.:)

 

I should add that my dh and I do take vitamin D. We were both deficient, despite no sunscreen use. So I can see certain instances where they are necessary - but we don't get vitamin D in our food, either. (At least not naturally).

[Aunty Social]

Anyone? I'd love to hear facts/opinions on whether vitamins are worth it or if diet is enough!

[Snickerdoodle]

Maybe add liver you your diet once a week.

 

Or liverwurst? Lots of kids love liverwurst.

[dsmith]

As much as we'd like to think we are giving our children all they need with our food choices, sometimes a vitamin is necessary. I had anemia a few times throughout highschool, and I ate iron rich foods. (liverwurst all the time!!) A few nieces and nephews also had it. I remember being tired all the time. My sister was told that her daughter was having restless leg type symptoms and severe sleep disturbances partly because of anemia. Her other dr. was trying to put her on adhd meds, but my sis kept investigating. After having her tonsils/adenoids removed and a year on iron she was a different kid.

[Peela]

Ideally diet would be enough, but who eats an ideal diet? Not to mention our depleted soils.

I am not sure why iron is so difficult to absorb for many of us. I am lately suspecting widespread gluten intolerance, but too much dairy is also a factor for many- both gluten and dairy inhibit iron absorption- so does soy, and tea and coffee. I have chronically low iron levels despite eating some red meat and taking vitamins and a healthy diet.

The thing that seems to help me more than anything is not taking iron itself, but spirulina and other green "superfoods", which is a term that refers to certain foods with very high levels of certain nutrients. Spirulina has a very high iron content, as well as more protein per gram than beef. My system likes it, but I take 5-10 grams a day, in tablet form, which is a lot of tablets (10-20) . You can also buy powder but it tastes gross.

However...others will swear by various different supplements.

Yes, you can make sure she is eating foods high in iron, but frequently that is impractical. I do prefer to be vegetarian but now and then my body just CRAVES red meat, and I will even eat liver (not raw, just fried with bacon- yum). Being in tune with one's own system is the best thing, but we westerners dont tend to be very in tune.

I would also suggest that if your dd shows no signs of low iron- in particular tiredness - you could get a bloodtest before putting her on an iron or multi supplement. It is fairly common here to get teen girls tested for anaemia, as yes, it is a common problem. My dd16 was tested last year and found to be mildly anaemic (we took her because she was chronically tired), so we put her on spirulina and it helps, though we haven't had her retested.

I do prefer superfoods, or diet changes, to taking synthesised supplements, however I will resort to vitamins etc at times.

[Aunty Social]

Thanks so much for your responses, everyone. Peela, I always gain so much from your posts in particular.

 

So, it sounds like a supplement of some kind is in order. Now for my next question. I would like to keep this as simple as possible, because quite frankly, I forget about pills all.the.time. I've been on a vit. D supplement for a year, but still have the original bottle of pills because I keep forgetting to take them.:tongue_smilie: I would also like to keep this as...how to say what I'm thinking.....natural? as possible. I want something that is easily absorbed and utilized by the body, with as little waste or potentially unnecessary elements as possible.

 

Peela - you mentioned spirullina. How would I figure out the dosage? I'm going to google it when I'm done here, but would it be good for other things, like Vit. D, calcium, etc?

 

Anyone know of a good all around vitamin that won't make you sick to your stomach?

[Lolly]

I'm in the eating foods category unless your dd is showing symptoms of anemia. If your dr thinks she may be anemic, he should have tested her for it. Putting everyone on a multivitamin just is not necessary. (Personally, I cannot take them. The iron in them makes me VERY sick.)

[Pretty in Pink]

You can buy 'slow release' iron tablets if nausea is an issue.

[Cricket]

I'm in the eating foods category unless your dd is showing symptoms of anemia. If your dr thinks she may be anemic, he should have tested her for it. Putting everyone on a multivitamin just is not necessary. (Personally, I cannot take them. The iron in them makes me VERY sick.)

 

:iagree: Also, I have never had a problem with iron levels once we switched to using cast iron pans.

[Heather in OK]

If you want/need to do an iron supplement, Floradix.

[Lightly Salted]

If you want/need to do an iron supplement, Floradix.

 

That - very gentle on your stomach and not constipating.

[Aunty Social]

Thanks! I'll look into floradix. I think I'm going to try a combo of a food diary, so that I can get a better idea of what she eats while away (she's in ps high school, and generally buys lunch) and a supplement. Then, depending on the results of her food diary, I'll make some rec's as to changing her diet and adapt any supplementation I feel may be necessary.

 

Any more info and recommendations are welcome! I'm always looking for new info.

[Rosie_0801]

I'm on Spatone iron supplements at the moment. It's a liquid supplement so is absorbed easier than iron in pill form. Sometimes we can't keep our diets good enough.

 

Rosie

[cdrumm4448]

Try chlorophyll supplements. They really benefit anemic/borderline anemic people. The liquid is the most available (nutritionally) and I take the spearmint flavored one. 1-2 teaspoons a day. A large bottle is $8 from my local health food store.

[gaillardia]

I would recommend spirulina as well.

Most iron in vitamins, as you know, is very constipating and not in plant form, but mineral form, which the body can only assimilate a small part of, and the body cannot get rid of the rest of, where it will lodge in various organs or bones, not good!

[Negin]

I haven't yet read all of the posts. I avoid iron in supplements and prefer to try to get it through food as well as eating it with foods that are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C increase iron absorption up to 4 times. Here's some info I recently read:

 

Iron is a double-edged mineral for women. Menstruating women lose iron-rich blood every month, plus pregnancy, nursing, and strenuous physical exercise dramatically increase the need for this mineral. But later in life, excess iron, which accumulates in the body after menopause, may increase women’s risk for cancer and heart disease.

 

If you’re over 50 or have experienced early or surgically induced menopause, see your doctor for a hematocrit, hemoglobin, and/or ferritin test to determine if you need iron. The ferritin test, which assesses stored iron, is most important here.

If your levels approach anywhere from 150 to 200 ng/mL on the ferritin test, do avoid extra iron in supplements, iron-enriched grains, and cut down on red meat. You might want to consider an iron-free multivitamin

 

Studies indicate that iron can help improve short-term memory loss and concentration. If you aren't using iron cookware regularly, you may wish to take 10 to 15 milligrams of elemental iron a day.

Jarrow Formulas IronSorb Elemental Iron From Protein Succinylate -- 18 mg - 60 Vegetarian Capsules (I haven't taken this yet)

 

Iron oxidizes. If you take too much iron, it can lead to cancer. This is why there are few multivitamin formulas for postmenopausal women that contain iron.

If you have had cancer, or if there is a high incidence of cancer in your family, you may want to take a formula without added iron unless a blood test determines that you are iron-deficient, in which case, natural sources may be far superior.

 

Iron supplements should be avoided if you have arthritis.

 

Too much iron can increase the production of free radicals in your brain cells and the tiny blood vessels in your brain, thereby increasing the risk of stroke. If your iron levels are too high, your brain cells can release a neurotransmitter called glutamate that can trigger chemical reactions causing brain-cell death.

 

Stored iron normally increases as we age, but in a few people, it is very high. The next time that you have a blood test, ask that your ferritin level be tested. It’s a simple and inexpensive aspect of stroke protection.

 

And yes, iron supplements tend to be constipating.

 

My naturopath friends often recommended Yellowdock to us. I need to get some again. Haven't taken it for years.

Organic, grass-fed beef liver along with foods rich in vitamin C should be great.

[RoughCollie]

Three weeks ago, my DD was diagnosed with severe iron-deficiency anemia. The only reason she can still walk, according to her pediatrician, is that her body adjusted gradually to the iron deficiency. She is being treated with 2 tablets of 65 mg of elemental iron per day, a multivitamin which includes iron, and an diet of foods rich in iron and vitamin C. Her diet was not the cause of the anemia. The only reason she didn't receive blood transfusion(s) is that we are hoping to avoid that.

 

Her symptoms were paleness (especially her lips; we didn't notice because it happened gradually), tiredness, and spells of dizziness which started shortly before we took her to the doctor for a physical.

 

Here is a list of iron-rich foods:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/#Iron%20Sources'>http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/#Iron%20Sources'>http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/#Iron%20Sources'>http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/#Iron%20Sources

 

Right below that is a list of dietary sources of vitamin C.

 

Our DD does not eat dairy products or bran within a couple of hours before and after taking iron either through her diet or through her iron pills. I can't find the link, but a reputable source had an article that said bran inhibits the absorption of iron. I found that "ironic" because so many cereals that are fortified with iron contain bran. Well, I found two articles: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/45/5/988 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2820048 .

 

"Substances (such as polyphenols, phytates, or calcium) that are part of some foods or drinks such as tea, coffee, whole grains, legumes and milk or dairy products can decrease the amount of non-heme iron absorbed at a meal. Calcium can also decrease the amount heme-iron absorbed at a meal."

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/#Iron%20Sources

 

Here is another article about iron-deficiency anemia, which discusses how to get the most iron from your diet (only 5-10% of the iron you consume is absorbed): http://uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/anemia.shtml We try to avoid the problems of eating iron-rich food which also contain iron-absorption inhibitors by having DD drink a big glass of OJ with her meals, and by giving her Vitamin C pills.

 

I'm am going into such detail in case one of you has a teenage girl who either has, or is at risk for having, iron-deficiency anemia.

Edited September 9, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Jennifer in MI]

If you want/need to do an iron supplement, Floradix.

 

I used this after I hemmoraged during birth and was severely anemic. Worked like a charm and NO constipation or stomach upset.

 

I haven't yet read all of the posts. I avoid iron in supplements and prefer to try to get it through food as well as eating it with foods that are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C increase iron absorption up to 4 times. Here's some info I recently read:

 

Iron is a double-edged mineral for women. Menstruating women lose iron-rich blood every month, plus pregnancy, nursing, and strenuous physical exercise dramatically increase the need for this mineral. But later in life, excess iron, which accumulates in the body after menopause, may increase women’s risk for cancer and heart disease.

 

If you’re over 50 or have experienced early or surgically induced menopause, see your doctor for a hematocrit, hemoglobin, and/or ferritin test to determine if you need iron. The ferritin test, which assesses stored iron, is most important here.

If your levels approach anywhere from 150 to 200 ng/mL on the ferritin test, do avoid extra iron in supplements, iron-enriched grains, and cut down on red meat. You might want to consider an iron-free multivitamin

 

Studies indicate that iron can help improve short-term memory loss and concentration. If you aren't using iron cookware regularly, you may wish to take 10 to 15 milligrams of elemental iron a day.

Jarrow Formulas IronSorb Elemental Iron From Protein Succinylate -- 18 mg - 60 Vegetarian Capsules (I haven't taken this yet)

 

Iron oxidizes. If you take too much iron, it can lead to cancer. This is why there are few multivitamin formulas for postmenopausal women that contain iron.

If you have had cancer, or if there is a high incidence of cancer in your family, you may want to take a formula without added iron unless a blood test determines that you are iron-deficient, in which case, natural sources may be far superior.

 

Iron supplements should be avoided if you have arthritis.

 

Too much iron can increase the production of free radicals in your brain cells and the tiny blood vessels in your brain, thereby increasing the risk of stroke. If your iron levels are too high, your brain cells can release a neurotransmitter called glutamate that can trigger chemical reactions causing brain-cell death.

 

Stored iron normally increases as we age, but in a few people, it is very high. The next time that you have a blood test, ask that your ferritin level be tested. It’s a simple and inexpensive aspect of stroke protection.

 

And yes, iron supplements tend to be constipating.

 

My naturopath friends often recommended Yellowdock to us. I need to get some again. Haven't taken it for years.

Organic, grass-fed beef liver along with foods rich in vitamin C should be great.

 

Wow! This is interesting information. Thank you. I was considering adding an iron supplement, but maybe not. I'm always a little low. But, I don't have any of the symptoms except I bruise quite easily. I wonder if this is a protective measure somehow on my body's part. Or maybe it's just MY normal and that's okay. KWIM? Hmmmmm . . .

 

About supplements. I've always read that even if we do eat healthfully, our soil is so depleted, it's impossible to get the nutrients we need from food. I know, around here it's nearly impossible to find fish that weren't farm-raised. So, we take an Omega-3 supplement. I take quite a few supplements, but not a multi.

 

Good luck with your decision!!!

[MBM]

I agree wholeheartedly with Negin.

 

I would only take iron if an iron panel showed I needed it and, personally, only if I had symptoms of anemia. If so, I'd also monitor my iron after beginning treatment. Iron is a superoxidant (opposite of an antioxidant) and can do a great deal of damage to your body if you have too much.

 

Some people get too much iron from supplements, especially non-menstruating women and men; however, others like me have hereditary hemochromatosis -- HH -- and absorb it too well. This is common in northern Europeans and those of British and Irish descent and is probably due to a gene mutation. (I'm half Norwegian.) So, bottom line, insist on getting an iron panel first because iron overload can begin early in life for some.

 

Btw, if iron is too high, typically a person will begin a series of blood draws to *de-iron* the blood.

 

HTH! :)

Edited September 9, 2010 by MBM

[Carol in Cal.]

I took Theragram M when I was a young woman. It contains quite a bit of iron, as well as some other minerals, and did not cause constipation.

 

When I was pregnant and nursing I took Stuart's prenatal vitamins. They really kept me going, and no constipation. During the last trimester, despite my good diet and those vitamins, I needed more iron, and had to take an iron supplement. I tried a couple of different kinds. Ugh. Constipation, tarry stools, yuck yuck yuck.

 

Bottom line--you might want to start with an enriched multivitamin and see how it goes.

 

BTW, I still take Stuart's. It just gives me energy. If I stop or switch, I am dragging in a week. However, I need to rethink this, I figure, once I finish the big change--don't want to start building up too much iron at that point.

[Carrie12345]

I don't have the mental clarity to start researching this early, but weren't there recent studies on multivitamins that showed a lack of benefit when it comes to overall health?

 

I can get on board with taking individual supplements for specific deficiencies, but I would definitely focus on food sources first.