Hi all,

I have been on 80-90% raw for about three months.
Two weeks ago, I did the blood test and found out that Iron is low.

Is there any food you can suggest to increase Iron? (BTW,
I am taking Iron supplement now)

Thank you for your help.

Consume your leafy greens with a source of Vitamin C for better uptake of iron. Plant foods rich in iron are: beets and their tops, other leafy greens, prunes, pumpkin, seeds and nuts, and seaweeds. It isn't raw, but I take blackstrap molasses regularily, and my iron, which used to be slightly lower than optimal, is back up to normal. Speedy healing to you

I take a whole food iron supplement regularly, 3 months on and 1 month off. I have been low iron all my life, so is my sister (of the same blood type, O-neg) no matter what sort of diet I follow. I am told it's about absorption but the supplements do the trick so I stick with it.

Nettle leaf is a good herbal tea to drink as it is rich in both iron and vitamin C which as tamukha says increases the bio-availability of plant iron(non-heme).

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

Don't you have issues with your B12 levels? I would take some b12 and then check your iron again after a few weeks or so.

Most of us have plenty of iron stored in our bodies (much more than we need). The problem is that it cannot be brought to blood, and the reason is - low copper. Sesame seeds (and some other) are good source of copper.

I am not an expert, don't take my opinion for granted. If you check the labels of SAD food, you will often see "enriched" - with iron. That is a killer. That iron kills a lot of people.

drink green smoothies - add an orange in it.

Rab - how/why does that 'enriched' iron kill people?

flipperjan Wrote:
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> Rab - how/why does that 'enriched' iron kill
> people?

Only things i can think of is getting too much iron and iron overload disorder. The body also naturally withholds iron from cancer cells to inhibit there growth.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

I think it's to do with the type of iron rather than too much. I take iron supplements and am not happy about it but my iron levels plummet when I do not. No amount of iron rich foods do it I'm afraid. I get my iron levels tested regularly and am never, ever too high in iron - quite the reverse. But I have heard that iron supplements are very bad for you and I would like to know why.

That is only beneficial though because your levels plummut when not supplementing, many have normal levels of iron and supplementing can excess to build up which results in iron overload syndrome.

Which is why it is left out of most standard multi-vitamin formulas unless you purchase the enriched version.

Did you ever try bitters before you main meals on back of the tongue for a few months to see if raising the stomach acid helped with absorption any flipperjan?

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]

No and I need to address this powerlifer. I need to know exactly what I need to buy please - nothing that has any kind of stimulating affect (bitters don't though do they?)


Is low stomach acid the only thing that can affect absorbtion though?

Would love to sort this out

It is not the only factor that can cause low iron levels and being a lady there can be other issues as you lose iron during your montly cycle etc.

Bitters are not stimulating to the CNS in anyway, they do stimulate digestion by stimulating the release of stomach acid, digestive enzymes, bile and in turn cleanse the liver. So yeah they dont effect the adrenal glands in anyway nor stimulate the CNS.

You can either just use any bitter tasting herbal powder such as andrographis, bupleurum, gentian etc a pinch on the back of the tongue pre-meal. Or you can buy various digestive bitter formulas such as grape or chinese bitters. The most common are swedish bitters you will likely find these in your local health food store but you should avoid these as they contain stimulant laxative herbs. So if you find a liquid formula easier than a herbal powder look for grape, chinese or bitters which dont contain stimulant laxative herbs which can weaken bowel function even with short term use.

[www.amlaberry.co.uk]