Looking to see if anyone has used these products

[dancer67]

I need some things to boost my iron stores, and have been researching other alternatives besides my Floradix and Blackstrap molasses.

 

Has anyone used the following:

 

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=NT-1168&activateTab=reviews#tabs

 

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/M015168.htm (This is for Spiurlina)

 

Is this good to boost iron? Or is it better to just eat the seaweed? Sounds gross though:confused:

 

And could someone tell me about SPATONE and ordering. I cannot figure out how to order from their website because it looks like it is going to cost a ton of money in shipping. And I will not even bother if SPATONE does not seem to boost iron stores.

 

Thank you!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I haven't used either product but I'll give you bump!

[dancer67]

Thanks Jean. And I hope you are feeling better!!!;)

[Negin]

I need some things to boost my iron stores, and have been researching other alternatives besides my Floradix and Blackstrap molasses.

Has anyone used the following:

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=NT-1168&activateTab=reviews#tabs

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/M015168.htm (This is for Spiurlina)

Is this good to boost iron? Or is it better to just eat the seaweed? Sounds gross though:confused:

And could someone tell me about SPATONE and ordering. I cannot figure out how to order from their website because it looks like it is going to cost a ton of money in shipping. And I will not even bother if SPATONE does not seem to boost iron stores.

Thank you!

 

Not that I'm an expert by any means. I'm a research nut, however.

The first one, I'm not sure I would get. I don't like iron supplements (if you want to know why, I can copy and past the info I have). Mind you, the ingredient list is not very long, which is always a good sign.

I would prefer to get iron from food, yellow dock (which I used to take regularly, and need to get again), spirulina, and/or floradix (haven't tried either, but have heard good things about both).

The spirulina looks good. No other ingredients - no soy, no nothing. That's good.

Don't know anything about SPATONE.

This is what I know about seaweed.

 

Seaweed contains molecules that slow cancer growth, especially that of breast, prostate, skin, and colon

Rich in iodine and other minerals

Sea vegetables (agar, arame, hijiki, kombu, nori, sea palms, and wakame) have some of the highest mineral content of any plants—especially calcium, iron, and iodine (the latter of which supports thyroid health)—all vital for women). Sea veggies are well known to protect against environmental pollutants; McGill researchers find that the alginic acid they contain reduces the amount of radioactive materials absorbed through the intestinal wall

 

Increase your iodine intake with mineral-rich sea vegetables (agar, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame) at least twice a week. You can eat as much seaweed as you want.

 

The principal edible seaweeds are: nori, kombu, wakame, arame, and dulse

Seaweed can be used in soups or salads and can be added to beans and lentils

Since toasting doesn’t affect seaweed’s iodine content, you can eat it dried or dried and toasted. Toast some in the oven or in a dry frying pan to see if you prefer that taste. You can also powdered seaweed to your food or add larger pieces of seaweed to soups, grains, or vegetables. Seaweed should be an enjoyable addition to your diet, not an unpleasant experience. If you simply don’t like its taste, you can get it in capsules.

Use 5-10 grams of mixed brown and red seaweed for thyroid problems. This is about 1 ½ teaspoons per day. If you’ve been told that your thyroid is borderline-low, eating seaweed makes sense. But remember, you need to eat seaweed every day or take iodine in a different form.

 

Brown seaweed lengthens the menstrual cycle, thanks to an anti-estrogen effect

They are highest in iodine and include all forms of kelp.

Hijiki and Sargassum are two other forms of brown seaweeds.

 

Fucoidan, found in kombu and wakame seaweed, helps provoke cell death by apoptosis and stimulates immune cells

 

Fucus, also known as Bladderwrack, is considered to be the best for underactive thyroids.

 

Not all seaweeds are safe to eat. Some come from polluted waters.

Be more cautious and talk to a naturopath if you’re on thyroid meds and want to try seaweed.

 

I haven't started on any seaweed yet but I would like to. I've just started to take and LOVE Seaweed Gomasio, which I ordered from amazon.

 

I order my supplements from amazon or vitacost most of the time.

[lailasmum]

Spatone is fabulous but it is expensive. I take a lot of spatone but usually manage to get it on 3 for 2 offers in a local chemist. Its definitely worth it if you can afford it. Spatone seems to have become what all the local pharmacists and midwives recommend at the moment. Used to be Floradix but now seems to be Spatone.

 

I found Floradix not strong enough to get the iron I need at the moment it worked out really expensive (plus not sure if it would be possible to overdose of the other vitamins it contains).

Edited December 6, 2010 by lailasmum

[Tammyla]

Cream of Wheat has iron in it, and was recommended to me during pregnancy.

[ktgrok]

I love this product. My midwife prescibed it, it got my iron up faster and hiher than anything else. I didn't even finish the bottle.http://www.metagenics.com/products/a-z-products-list/Hemagenics

[sbgrace]

I did a lot of research because I had a child whose iron deficiency was difficult to correct due to underlying issues.

 

You might do a little looking into ferrous bis-glycinate. It's absorbed at least 3 x better than other forms. Many (most to all) plant source iron is going to have either oxalates or other minerals such as calcium that block iron absorption. Red meat is a the best food source of iron bar none but (outside of perhaps lots of calf liver) it would be hard to correct deficiency with meat.

 

I'd look into Solgar Gentle Iron instead of those you linked. That said, the first one you linked says amino acid chelate and I suspect it could possibly be bisglycinate. It's just strange it doesn't say what chelate specifically and/or give a laboratory (Albion is the bisglycinate) source/credit. I also don't like it when they throw foods that block iron absorption because of things like antioxidants (bright red fruits) or the oxalates/calcium issues (greens). I'd take a straight up supplement with vitamin C rich foods or a vitamin C supplement.

 

After failing lots of supplements (including Floradix) and various food attempts bisglycinate fixed my son's iron very quickly. It was amazing and with no side effects because it's so well absorbed. It's easy on the system. There are quite of bit of studies comparing it to other forms if you do a some searching. Side note: the foods fortified with iron are actually fortified with bisglycinate because it's safe and phytates in grains (that are often the supplemented food) don't block the absorption of bisglycinate like they do other iron supplements.