My choice for iron supplement is the Blood Builder from Megafood, which has been clinically proven to increase iron levels without causing nausea or constipation*† (common side-effects of most iron supplements).
Regardless of your situation, if you have a history of iron deficiency it is understandable that you may want to take an iron supplement on top of eating a healthy vegan diet. If you’re pregnant the recommended daily value of iron increases to 26mg. If you’re eating a healthy and balanced vegan diet you should have no problem meeting that number, or avoiding a deficiency (I’ve never had one). Normally it is recommended that women between the ages of 19-50 consume 18mg of iron per day. Premenopausal women are more likely than men to have iron deficiency because of our regular blood loss during menstruation, or during pregnancy. Whether you’re eating a vegan or carnivorous diet, it’s essential to eat plenty of wholesome plant-based foods, and avoid processed foods to protect yourself from becoming deficient.īut what about those times in our lives when we need extra iron?
Heme-iron which comes from animals is better absorbed into our system because we too are animals, but non-heme iron will get the job done too. A whole food vegan diet may be low in iron from cows, and other animal flesh, but it is high in iron from dark leafy greens, lentils, beans, and seeds. A Standard American Diet is famously low in vitamin C, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fresh fruit, and water, all of which are essential for overall health and maintaining healthy iron levels*. Like other vitamins and minerals we get from our food, iron relies on other nutrients, namely vitamin C, and a quality diet to properly absorb into our bloodstream. The reason is, iron absorption isn’t just reliant on how much of it you consume. It’s well known that cows are a great source of iron, yet women who eat the Standard American Diet (which is high in beef and other animal products) still suffer from this common deficiency which leads to low energy levels and muscle fatigue.
Many American women (at least 10% according to the CDC(1)) experience iron-deficiency, so it’s understandable to be extra concerned about iron when you think about eliminating all animal products from your diet. One of the most common questions I am asked from readers is about maintaining healthy iron levels as a vegan. I’ve written this post as a paid ambassador for Megafood.