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SV Updates
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Doctor Tells Iron Deficient Woman Not To Go VegQuestion for Savvy VegetarianI've got a colleague (a possible convert!) to whom I've been extolling the wonders of vegetarianism, but she has an iron deficiency and her doctor's got her convinced that a vegetarian diet just won't do. I wondered what your thoughts might be. - B.R. SV AdviceHi B.R! Nice to hear from you! Simply, vegetarian diets don't normally result in iron deficiency. Probably her doctor is thinking that heme iron mostly from red meat is more available & more absorbable than nonheme iron, mostly from plant food. And he'd be right about that. But perhaps uninformed about vegetarian diets. The truth is that a proper vegetarian diet contains far more than enough iron, but the amount you absorb depends on the other food you eat. Eating iron rich foods with foods high in Vitamin C greatly increases the rate of absorption. Eating a lot of dairy products, and a lot of food high in oxolates & phytates decreases iron absorption, as does tannin, from black tea and to a lesser extent, coffee. For much more detailed and complete information on this topic, and other extremely useful info about vegetarian nutrition, I recommend you and your colleague read "Becoming Vegetarian" by Vesanto Melina et al. It's available in many libraries, and costs about $20 new, and maybe half that used. Well worth getting whether or not she becomes vegetarian. Could be her iron deficiency is related to other dietary factors that her doctor isn't aware of, and this book may be helpful. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions. Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian Health Disclaimer:Savvy Vegetarian provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or improve their diet. We don't advocate any particular vegetarian diet. We don't claim to be health care professionals, or nutritionists, nor do we treat any illness. Any changes that you make to your diet, or results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. For your protection, we ask you to be completely open with us about your health, and we may recommend a medical exam before changing your diet. We reserve the right to refuse or to end a client relationship if we believe the client's actions may endanger his or her health. Get A FREE REPORT With Free Vegetarian Advice From Savvy Vegetarian |
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