iron supplements or foods for 13yo girl??

[dirty ethel rackham]

Dd12 seems a little off these days. Since she started her periods 6 months ago, they are coming very frequently (every 2-3 weeks.) If she gets a longer break, then she bleeds for 10 days. We are giving it another cycle or two to help her body regulate before we take her in for any testing (because I know the first thing they will tell me is to put her on the pill and I don't want to go that route.) I am worried that she might be a little anemic. She is athletic - a competitive rock climber - but she doesn't seem to have her usual endurance. I thought I might try to boost her b vitamins and iron intake. I would rather do this through foods. She is not a big red meat eater (will eat it when we serve it, but not her favorite.) She hasn't mastered swallowing pills bigger than a Zyrtec so pills may be out of the question. We try to eat a mostly whole foods diet. Any suggestions?

[Annie]

Dark colored leafy greens are good. Spinach salad or kale chips? Watermelon is a pretty good source and great in the summer. Egg yolks are good. Quiche with spinach and red peppers would have a good bit of iron.

 

Do you cook on cast iron?

[Dandelion]

In addition to the above suggestions, you could also try Blackstrap Molasses. It's one of the best food sources of iron (due to the other vitamins and minerals that naturally occur in it, the iron is very bioavailable).

 

The taste is quite strong (not like the molasses most of us are used to), but you can mix it into other foods if your DD finds taking it straight too difficult. I just take it right off the spoon and then drink a glass of water after to get rid of the taste.

 

It's sold at most natural foods stores.

[laf919]

cream of wheat with orange juice. I had problems with anemia in my 2nd pregnancy and eating a big bowl of cream of wheat with OJ to drink for breakfast each day raised my iron counts significantly in about a month. Remember that whatever food source you use, pair it with vitamin C to get better iron adsorption.

[Annie]

Actually spinach is not very high in iron.

 

 

The places I've seen have it listed at 3.2-3.5 mg per half cup cooked. That's just slightly less than a 3oz of beef, so I consider that pretty good, especially since it seems like her daughter isn't one to sit down with a big, juicy ribeye. Me? I'd take the ribeye. :lol:

 

 

OP - Here's a pretty good chart:

 

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/dietary_sources_iron.html

 

How about pumpkin seeds?

[Acadie]

From another mama whose dd is on the 2-3 week cycle, I feel for you! It's just been 3 mos for dd and I know it's very common the first year, so we haven't seen anyone yet either. But sheesh, I wish she could get a break. Swim team is coming up and I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

 

My younger dd was anemic at one point and we got her iron up just through diet. I'd go for greens, amaranth (it makes a tasty, if gluey, hot breakfast cereal, and is super high in iron), and fruit or veg high in vitamin C every time you serve meat. Vit C really ups absorption of iron. Dark chicken and turkey are much higher in iron than white meat. Chicken thighs are great, either boneless/skinless or not. And potato skins are a wonderful source--I always go organic when eating the skins. So many yummy ways to use potatoes, baked, roasted, mashed, latkes, potato salad.

 

Are there beef dishes she likes better than others? I wonder if dishes like chili or spaghetti w/meat sauce would be more palatable than straight up steak or stir fry?

 

Floradix is a good iron and B vit supplement made from herbs, so it's nonconstipating. And it's a liquid, not a pill.

 

Sending good energy to you and your girl!

 

Amy

[Harriet Vane]

Definitely blackstrap molasses--this will be the quickest delivery system with the biggest immediate punch.

 

Mix 3T in half a glass of lukewarm water and drink. If you don't dilute it, you will have a hard time swallowing and your mouth will be coated with it all day. Mixed with water it goes down quickly and you can get the molasses taste out of your mouth easily.

 

Chase it down with some orange juice--the vitamin C will increase absorption by quite a bit.

 

You can do this 1-3 times per day.

[jeswa]

Beans are another good source.

[Tita Gidge]

Thirding the suggestion of blackstrap.

 

A few days each week I force myself to eat a breakfast of oatmeal or grits, to which I've added blackstrap molasses. The other days of the week I force myself to drink a cup of hot water (my hematologist took me off of tea, sigh) to which I've added honey and molasses. I drink it before bed.

 

In both cases, and every day even if I've skipped both doses of blackstrap, I chase it all down with Emergen-C mixed into Club Soda. I can't stand citrus juices and the vitamin c pills wreck havoc on my enamel. This is the best way I can get down the vitamin c. I love water and drink mostly water, but the Emergen-C didn't taste good (to me) with still water. So instead of soda, I get my fizzy fix with flavored Emergen-C and Club Soda. I'm currently on a Cranberry-Pomegranate kick.

 

My hematologist also suggested an Orange Julius type beverage before we settled on the Emergen-C alternative. That might be a bit more girl-friendly, too, especially come summer.

[sbgrace]

Most foods rich in iron also contain substances that inhibit iron absorption. If the issue is phytates (grains, iron enriched grains), vitamin c will help mitigate. But if the issue is other minerals, antioxidants, or similar substances, you are better not eating that food. This is true of leafy greens, eggs, beans, and red/bright fruits. Red meat is a good source but, with the exception of things like liver, it would be hard to get enough iron from meat even if she is willing to eat it. I haven't researched black strap molasses to see if it is well absorbed, my son couldn't get it down. It may be a good source. Personally, I would give her a well absorbed iron supplement with some vitamin C. I know of a small capsule iron that's well absorbed but it's small dose, so she may have to take so many it wouldn't be cost effective (it's Kirkman Labs Iron Biomax--5 mg per capsule, but very tiny capsule size).

[Mommyof4ks]

We give vitamins with iron to dd. Her cycles are short too (21 days), and her pedi is not concerned nor has he mentioned the pill to us. We just have to keep her iron up.

[Plateau Mama]

My son has very low levels of iron. He cannot eat any red meat so that option is out. He takes 2 tsp of liquid iron a day. My naturopath "prescribed" it for him. I get it on amazon subscribe & save so I don't have to worry about it ever running out. It is Integrative Therapies, Liquid Iron, Cinnamon Flavor. We went this route vs a pill because it is gentler on the stomach.

[phathui5]

I would try Floradix. It's a liquid iron supplement that is gentle on the digestion.

 

(because I know the first thing they will tell me is to put her on the pill and I don't want to go that route.)

 

Say it with me, "We're looking for other options."

[dirty ethel rackham]

Thanks for the advice. I'll pick up some floridix tomorrow. I would love to do the blackstrap molasses, but she knows what that tastes like and wants no part of it. We did some colonial and pioneer cooking this year for history and anything made with molasses did not go over well:).

[Seasons]

Cream of Wheat! I've battled anemia my whole life. After supplements had little to no effect on my iron count my doctor pulled me aside and handed me a paper on foods and their iron content. Cream of Wheat was top of the list. I saw results within a month without the side effects of the supplements I had been taking.

[Arcadia]

I can't absorb much iron through food. I had blood tests almost every month at the doctor/obgyn to monitor and only iron supplements worked. An easy check for anemia for me was that my fingernails and the "underside" of my lower eyelids would be very pale. I would also feel faint a lot more often. Floradix is worth trying and easy to find.

[2boysmom]

The Japanese here boil water in iron kettles or even in iron fry pan.

Then bottle and chill in the fridge. Seems a great way to me to get the iron you need.

Just an idea.

[rieshy]

If you go the Floridix route be for-warned it tastes like liquid dirt, unless you are reeeeeally anemic, and then it tastes strangely good. At least that's how I can tell my iron levels:) Also she should rinse her mouth or brush her teeth afterwards to keep from staining her teeth. Personally, I think it is one of the best iron supplements out there.