My "Anemic" friend needs help

[GRardB]

So I know this girl in high school...she says she's "anemic". She's Italian and takes iron supplements but says "it doesn't do anything" so I'm guessing it's Sickle Cell Anemia and not just Anemia, but she doesn't know. Once she finds out, I'll inform you guys.

 

Here's the thing: She wants to become a vegetarian (or so she says), but her doctor told her she "can't" because she "needs" the iron from meat. I tried convincing her that vegetarians don't lack iron, and used myself as an example. I asked her how I could lack iron if I eat 6-8 times a day, when one of the symptoms of iron deficiency is lack of appetite.

 

Her mom did "research" and "found out" that vegetarianism makes her condition worse, so her mom won't allow her to become a vegetarian. I told her that it wasn't true, but her reply was "y did they say it then on the computer". As you guys can see, she's uncertain because of all the myths out there.

 

So how can I help her out more than I have already? I've tried showing her www.meat.org, scientific evidence on how humans are herbivores, and vegan bodybuilders on this site....nothing seems to be working. Do any of you guys have Sickle Cell? Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Gerard

[Gaia]

Due to some heavy menses, I became anemic after 6 months. My doctor told me to go to the drugstore and take the iron pills they have there. I of course went on line and looked to see if VegLife had vegan iron pills and they did. They were food based which makes them more digestible and gets into the body/blood more easily. I took those for three months and I also added seaweeds (high in iron and iodine) to my diet, and a really good folic acid/folate in a complete B vitamins (to support the body in its iron deficiency). I was fine after the three months.

 

I don't know why they would tell her that she has to eat meat for her iron content when the yolks of eggs has alot of iron in it (all be it cholesterol too) and that way she can at least be vegetarian.

 

You have to remember that you can always find stuff to back up what ever you have in your mind. Her mom will find all sorts of stuff to back up her theory. Perhaps your friend can try for a couple of weeks the vegetarian way and through blood tests, see if her way is helping or hindering her. Then proceed from there (helping-she continues, hindering-she has to try her mom's approach).

 

Sickle cell anemia is a disease, and it is a genetic disease. I think she would have known if she was sickle cell when she was a kid. And it is not about having enough iron, it is that your Red Blood Cells can not carry enough oxygen to the body when it needs it (due to its sickle cell shape). And you have to be on some very special medication and even your blood needs to be manipulated in some way (transfusions or oxygenated) several times a year - depending on the severity of the disease.

[Guest]

I knew a few vegetarians in college were anemic and a good friend of mine is an anemic vegan. Her doctors tell her all the time that she needs meat. She claims herself to be very unhealthy(hers is extreme) but she also thinks its a lot better now that she's vegan.

[GRardB]

UPDATE: My friend's mom says that she doesn't have Sickle Cell Anemia. This makes me wonder what's so hard about getting rid of her Anemia? From what I can understand, Anemia is purely dietary, right? All you would have to do is get enough iron daily and you wouldn't be anemic? I'm confused.

 

Also, I had her read me her iron supplement label. On the front of her bottle is says "325mg" and on the back it says "65mg per tablet." I don't understand the contradiction and also...isn't the %DV for iron 18mg a day? She says she "needs" to take her pills 3 times a day. That would equal 195mg of iron a day, which is like almost 1100% DV? I don't understand.

 

If you were "lacking protein" and needed, let's say 20g a day, wouldn't you just get 20g a day instead of taking supplements to get 220g a day? Or is this not the same scenario?

 

I'm extremely confused lol.

 

Gerard

[Guest]

A lot of people with anemia eat enough iron...the problem is that they have trouble absorbing/utilizing it. You can also do things that may make you anemic. A lot of distance runners are anemic(regardless of being vegan or not) even though they eat lots of iron...some of them try supplementing and they feel like crap so they just stay mildly anemic.

[Mike]

 

Also, I had her read me her iron supplement label. On the front of her bottle is says "325mg" and on the back it says "65mg per tablet." I don't understand the contradiction and also...isn't the %DV for iron 18mg a day? She says she "needs" to take her pills 3 times a day. That would equal 195mg of iron a day, which is like almost 1100% DV? I don't understand.

 

Gerard

 

Some vitamin companies will give a separate indication of how much of the supplement is absorbed by the body compared to how much is in each tablet. In this case, there might be 325 mgs per tablet, but the body only absorbs 65 mgs. That does seem like an excessive amount of iron, but perhaps her doctor told her to take that much so she can load up on iron until her levels get back to normal. Maybe, like Potter mentioned, she has trouble absorbing or utilizing iron, so she needs to take much more than the DV.

 

Mike

[GRardB]

I see...I'm starting to understand a bit more now. The thing I still don't get is why her doctor claims she needs iron from meat. Even if vegetarians truly got less necessary iron than meat-eaters, the supplementation would definitely make up for it, no?

 

Not really looking for an actual answer or justification; just expressing my thoughts.

[Couture547]

You have to keep in mind that doctors only know what they have been taught. Most have no clue about nutrition unless they studied it by themselves. Doctors know two things Surgery and Drugs. The best source of Iron is Dark Green Leavy greens and grasses. Meat is not really a good souce unless you were a carnivore and were eatting it raw.

tell your find to study some raw food books like David Wolfe's and the Ph miricle and also Brendan Brazier's book the Thrive Diet. Those are the best books even if you don't want to eat all raw, that's were your going to get your good nutrition.

[Guest]

Just ask her how red meat has so much iron in it. It doesn't come from nowhere...it comes from grass(at least in a cow's natural environment)

[Mike]

Potter, I think you must have been a cow in a past life- and I don't even believe in past lives . This is the third or fourth time I've seen you use a cow example in a post.

 

That is a good point, though. As long as vegans eat the way humans were designed to eat (whole foods, not processed, yada yada), we would have all the nutrients we need.

 

Mike

[ChaserHUN]

when I was younger I was a bad eater, somedays I only ate a little slice of bread, and I never had anemia

[Gaia]

There are many things that can affect iron absorption:

 

2) Avoid interfering dietary acids.

 

Stomach acid is important for iron absorption, but there are other acids found in seemingly healthy foods that can interfere with absorption.

 

Tannic acid: Found in black teas and coffee.

 

Phosphoric acid: Found in legumes, whole grains, and soy products.

 

Phytic acid: Found in unprocessed bran, oatmeal, and whole grains.

 

Oxalic acid: Found in raw spinach, Swiss chard, silverbeet, rhubarb, and soy products.

 

3) Eat a healthy, balanced diet high in iron-rich foods.

 

Iron deficient and anemic individuals often suffer from other deficiencies such as total calories, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential oils.

 

When it comes to cooking your veggies, Swiss chard and spinach should be steamed, boiled, or sautéed for at least two to three minutes. Raw spinach can be eaten alone in smaller quantities.

 

4) Supplement with a quality, broad-based multivitamin/mineral formula.

 

Even if you're eating well, you can't get all the nutrients your body needs. Even supplementing with one in isolation may have little or no effect. Minerals work in synergy, like many things that bring us optimal health and wellness.

 

There is more info at this website:

 

http://www.musclewithattitude.com/readArticle.do?id=1845026

 

My new medical intuitive/licensed nutritional counselor (homeopathic/naturopathetic) has me increasing my stomach acid so I can digest things better. Her theory is that as a vegan, my stomach acid has declined because I am not having to digest meat, and also my age with my genetics.

[Marcina]

The bread I eat has a lot of iron in it. I also like to put spinach in pasta sauces, soups and salads. My boyfriend worried I'd become anemic after going vegan but my doctor says I'm fine ^^

[Lean and Green]

You have to keep in mind that doctors only know what they have been taught. Most have no clue about nutrition unless they studied it by themselves. Doctors know two things Surgery and Drugs. The best source of Iron is Dark Green Leavy greens and grasses.

 

Yep. My doctor was so ignorant. When I turned vegan he asked me how I expected to survive without meatsauce and pasta, geez.....

 

No doctor would tell you to heal yourself with whole food, they'll just pass you off to some iron pill.

 

Any dark green leafy and any grass, absolutely....

 

Bok Choy has an exceptionally high amount of Iron per serving compared to other dark greens. Kale is good also. Any grass, seaweed was mentioned and is fantastic. Algaes are very high in iron as well.

 

Spirulina, an algae has 80% of recommend dv of Iron per one tablespoon (10 grams),, that's INSANE!!!

 

http://spirulina.com/SPBNutrition.html <- you can see it's makeup here; there's a reason why it's called a superfood. (460% Vit A/beta carotene per serving as well)

 

The best part about whole food is that you can consume as much as you want and food wont cause vitamin or mineral toxicity/deficiency.

 

Pills and supplements on the other hand will as the body treats it as foreign and not a whole complex and draws out your stores and drains them in an attempt to make the supplement 'whole'.

 

Food is always a whole food complex as that's how it was found and science cannot mimic that.....