High doses
of supplemental iron (45 mg / day or more) may cause gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and constipation [5].
Yet increased intakes of vitamins A and B6 may be required to resolve the anemia, with or
without supplemental iron depending on need.
If you'd rather go the supplement route, look for pharmaceutical - grade iron with vitamin C. Work with your health care provider
as supplemental iron can sometimes cause digestive issues and constipation — not what you want postpartum.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all women take prenatal vitamins when trying to get pregnant, and women with IDA take
supplemental iron in addition to their prenatal vitamin.
They then monitored the fate of the patch off and on for five weeks, while also
adding supplemental iron fertilizer after two weeks to keep concentrations high enough to promote growth.
The study's findings, originally published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, were much more nuanced: «In older women, several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality risk; this association is strongest
with supplemental iron,» the authors write.
However, large amounts
of supplemental iron (greater than 25 mg) might decrease zinc absorption [2,78].
However, it's unknown whether cooking these foods will lower the oxalate content enough to prevent absorption issues when
taking supplemental iron.
By some reports, the iron in spirulina is 60 % better absorbed than
supplemental iron (ferrous sulfate), which is commonly found in baby formula.
Supplemental iron (particularly when administered in solution or as a separate supplement rather than incorporated into a meal) can interfere with zinc absorption.
However, iron status is effectively managed with
supplemental iron, and thus the overall evidence demonstrates no apparent risk in recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life as a general policy in both developing and developed countries.
However,
supplemental iron may be needed if your child eats very little meat, iron - fortified cereal, or vegetables rich in iron.
I mainly ask patients to avoid
supplemental iron as bacteria can utilize supplemental iron, but can't utilize lactoferrin or ferritin.
The iron from animal foods, known as heme iron, is unaffected, so problems are typically limited to those taking
supplemental iron.
Anemia in meat - eaters is normally treated with large doses of
supplemental iron, not with eating more meat.
By some reports, the iron in spirulina is 60 % better absorbed than
supplemental iron (ferrous sulfate), which is commonly found in baby formula.
Other forms of
supplemental iron, such as heme iron polypeptides, carbonyl iron, iron amino - acid chelates, and polysaccharide - iron complexes, might have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than ferrous or ferric salts [18].
Supplemental Iron is also helpful, and, of course, a medication to kill the hookworms.
In other words, the equatorial Pacific gets nutrient - deficient water from Antarctic Ocean currents, and experiments have shown that
the supplemental iron alone isn't enough to trigger the plankton blooms.