How can I boost my iron levels?

[carolyorkie2010]

Just got my latest blood test results and the HB (Iron) levels have fallen again! I'm doing my best, eating green leafy veg, having a cuppa half an hour after a meal instead of with a meal etc; please don't suggest I eat liver because I couldn't - yuk!! I have Crohn's disease and can't tolerate alot of foods, but don't usually have this problem with the HB. Any suggestions gratefully received, before they decide I need iron tablets which don't agree with me. Thank you

[****merlin*****]

eating iron rich foods, and drinking orange juice increases how much your body absorbs

vitamin C helps you absorb it better

things like chickpeas, soy beans, kidney beans, lentils etc are high in iron

make things like hummus

(easy to make, and better if its flavoured, roasted red pepper, caramelised onlion etc)

fortified grain products are also good for you

but does that conflict with your dietry needs??

[carolyorkie2010]

Anything spicy or peppery I cannot tolerate, same with onions and I love them. Could try the Hummus, never had it so will look for a recipe. Thanks, Merlin.

[ilove2patch]

My daughter has Chrones too & the beans suggested would not agree with her. High fibre is a no no to Chrones sufferers. She does get aniemic but I think she takes iron tablets when this happens. Trouble is, the Chrones itself stops your body absorbing the vitamins from your food so even eating iron rich foods doesn't mean your body will absorb them. It's a rotten condition to have.

[ed_blackadder_1]

Sympathies Carol, horrible thing to have, Can't really help but can only say LIVER (sorry), spinach and something we have here and has been known to be found in Wales  Laver.

I have been anaemic in the past when I had my son and had to have tablets for a while, oh er missus plays havoc with your number 2s if you know what I mean. I had awful trouble with them.

Good job I like Liver, spinach and Laver.

[duck_a_lorange]

Was going to say liver. However. What about liver pate? Or is that too rich?

I don't know, obviously, but perhaps Floradix tablets might agree better with you than bog standard NHS? But they might not be strong enough - daily dose is 2 tablets, giving 14mg iron a day.  Tesco stock them, or did last year anyway.

[duck_a_lorange]

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@ed_blackadder_1 wrote:

Sympathies Carol, horrible thing to have, Can't really help but can only say LIVER (sorry), spinach and something we have here and has been known to be found in Wales  Laver.

I have been anaemic in the past when I had my son and had to have tablets for a while, oh er missus plays havoc with your number 2s if you know what I mean. I had awful trouble with them.

Good job I like Liver, spinach and Laver.

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I can't find a green smiley. Laver? I'll eat virtually anything, but that is one of the very few things that I have binned without finishing. It's the texture....

[ed_blackadder_1]

Oh it is yummy with mash potato, hoggs pudding,beans, tomatoes and a fried egg.    I am off to the freezer to have a rootle I am sure there is some in there somewhere.

[duck_a_lorange]

Where can I get hog's pudding????

It was such a childhood treat!

[ilove2patch]

What is Hogs Pudding?

[ed_blackadder_1]

I suppose it is like a white Black pudding, a big fat sausage usually with barley etc,  they often call it the devonshire haggis, I think it is more common in Devon and Cornwall.

http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/hoggs_pudd.htm

[ilove2patch]

The grain in it wouldn't be good for a Chrones sufferer.

[duck_a_lorange]

Er - a sort of sausage, whitish, probably "real" sausage skin because it really shrank around the contents, rusk, lots of white pepper, salt, lard, probably, and possibly other pig-related content. (Note the absence of the word "meat"...)

[ilove2patch]

Sounds delicious! 

[stroppy*cow]

I can't stand liver either (it's the texture), but I can eat it minced and mixed with minced beef or lamb for bolgnese, lasagne, shepherds / cottage pie, meatloaf, meatballs etc.

The dark meat of poultry contains more iron than breast meat, so if you can use leg / thigh meat instead of breast.

Apricots, prunes and raisins, and pumpkin seeds all contain iron - mix with iron fortified cereals - avoid whole wheat cereals.

Clams, mussels and oysters are good sources of iron.

[ed_blackadder_1]

No not for Chrones sufferers,  and I didn't say it was good for you.  Our local butchers do one that is mainly pork meat and barley salt and pepper and they are fab, when they split the edges do have crispy bits.  I don't know weither the laver would be any good for chrones, I just know it is full of iron.

[duck_a_lorange]

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@ilove2patch wrote:

Sounds delicious! 

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It was. Hot, peppery and bready. Almost vegetarian, really. The one we used to get was, anyway.

(That's the perfect green smiley by the way - complete with laver....)

[duck_a_lorange]

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@carolyorkie2010 wrote:

Just got my latest blood test results and the HB (Iron) levels have fallen again! I'm doing my best, eating green leafy veg, having a cuppa half an hour after a meal instead of with a meal etc; please don't suggest I eat liver because I couldn't - yuk!! I have Crohn's disease and can't tolerate alot of foods, but don't usually have this problem with the HB. Any suggestions gratefully received, before they decide I need iron tablets which don't agree with me. Thank you

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Back on topic - This link may be useful: http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/factsheets/iron.html

And I am amazed that nobody has mentioned CHOCOLATE! (dark chocolate, of course)

[ilove2patch]

Interesting link but a lot of that wouldn't be suitable for a Chrones patient. When my daughter has a flare up she is told no nuts, seeds, beans, wholemeal anything. No fibrous vegetables either. It's a tough one.

[carolyorkie2010]

Yes it is so difficult when you have Crohns, as you rightly pointed out, Maggie; can't have high fibre or anything with seeds! I like spinach so might have to increase that and see if it agrees with me. I aren't doing anything any different so don't understand why the HB has dropped so much since May last year; I have blood tests every 3 months. And yes, Ed, I agree about what iron tablets do, LOL They make me very constipated  That's why I don't want to have to take them again. Just read that Red Clover tea is rich in iron.

Thank you all for your suggestions. very much appreciated.