AU G'day from Australia

[Bted]

Hi, fairly new to being vegan(6 months and vegetarian for 2 years before that) . Been doing fairly well and my reasons for the change were ethical really , not about myself. I feel better psycholiogically as being part of the whole animal cruelty and the meat and dairy industries was really getting to me. Things are fairly easy at home living in the city with lots of vegan food options every where . Not so easy when travelling around the world recently . My issue seems to be my Ferretin levels are low despite eating all the right things in my diet; Green veg, lentils, nuts tofu etc etc . Has anyone else found this and needed to resort to supplements? I feel fairly fatigued too

 

[shyvas]

Hola &

 

[Val]

Hi, fairly new to being vegan(6 months and vegetarian for 2 years before that) . Been doing fairly well and my reasons for the change were ethical really , not about myself. I feel better psycholiogically as being part of the whole animal cruelty and the meat and dairy industries was really getting to me. Things are fairly easy at home living in the city with lots of vegan food options every where . Not so easy when travelling around the world recently . My issue seems to be my Ferretin levels are low despite eating all the right things in my diet; Green veg, lentils, nuts tofu etc etc . Has anyone else found this and needed to resort to supplements? I feel fairly fatigued too

Hi Bted! All i can say (without knowing your health situation) is that nonheme iron requires a good quantity of vitamin C for bioavailability. Foods rich in iron need to be combined (eaten simultaneously) with foods rich in vitamin C (e.g. red beans + cabbage; buckwheat + kiwis, etc.). Also, try and check your liver condition: this leak of ferretine may be an indicator of serious liver issues(!).

 

[Veganite]

G'day and welcome from BC, Canada!


*

 

[Emma JC]

hello and welcome @Bted

Congrats on your decisions and we look forward to sharing the journey with you.

You must have had your blood checked to determine your ferritin levels? was anything else out of whack?

Many new vegans do no eat enough calories which is what leads to fatigue, are you using Cronometer or some other calculator to ensure that you output isn't greater than your input? I don't see many starches in your list of food items, are you enjoying potatoes and rice and whole grains breads and pastas? starches convert to glucose which our body and brain needs....

Emma JC

 

[Urban Gardener]

Welcome! I have also struggled with the nutrition side of things. I relate. There's some good info here on this site.

 

[HappyRoxy]

Hello from South Australia! I haven't had an issue with ferritin being low. Recent blood work showed that my B12 was low, and I am supplementing for that.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Welcome. My energy increased going vegan and first year's blood work improved (but not perfect - it's called too much alcohol) over non-vegan blood tests in years prior. I had no ferritin/iron issues at the time and as far as I know (haven't had a blood test in a while) none since. Come October I will have completely abstained from all animal products for 3 years*. Iron issues are not specific to vegetarian/vegans - I have a friend who eats meat regularly and not long ago was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.

Fatigue can be an iron issue, and it can simply be a lack of sufficient calorie issue. I would count the calories from whatever egg/dairy products you were eating prior to going vegan and replace with a vegan source (preferably a whole food with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and proteins).

Once ruling out inadequate energy intake, then it's probably worthwhile seeing a professional to address any possible issues with ferritin/iron.

*No supplements besides the occasional B12 which I usually get in a yeast spread I use.

 

[Lou]

I used to be borderline anemic all the time. I finally decided that is just how I am. Maybe my body just doesn't absorb iron as well as it should.

The best bet is to add food with vitamin c to your meal plan (like Val said). If you have iron-rich foods with dinner it would be a good idea to add some fruit or fruit juice to the menu at dinner.

Another little tip is to avoid caffeine when eating iron-rich foods. caffeine can reduce the absorption of iron.

And as Emma said you should use some kind of Nutrient tracker. I use Cronometer. You don't have to use it all the time but it is a good idea to use it till you can feel confident in your meals giving you all the nutrition you need.
For iron, you might want to set a goal of 200% of the RDA since nonheme iron is just not as absorbable.

There are lots of iron-rich foods that are easy enough to add to your diet. My favorite for ease of use is dried apricots.

Another easy thing to do is to use a cast iron pan for some of your cooking. Cast iron woks aren't very expensive and tofu and vegetable stir frys are a great meal.

I also am a big proponent of multivitamins. IMHO they are a cheap and easy way to make sure you get all your vitamins. Most multis contain B12. although they say 100% you do need more B12 than that. And a lot of multis contain 25% of the RDA of iron and that might be just enough to get you over the hump. There are multis and iron supplements that contain 100% but I would shy away from those. Iron can be toxic. Somewhere between 25% and 50% is good enough.

You also don't need to lose any sleep over iron toxicity. If your stools turn black and rock hard you are taking in too much.

Fatigue is definitely a symptom of iron deficiency, but as people have already pointed out it also could mean you are not getting enough calories. Since vegan food is "bulkier" than nonvegan food, sometimes vegans don't realize how much food they need to eat. So again check that out with something like Cronometer.

 

[Deleted member 3018]

Merry meet.

I can't help much... But many here has already given good advice. Take care of yourself and see a doctor if need be.

By the way... I love your profile pic. Did you draw that yourself?

 

[PTree15]

Hi Bted, and welcome!

 

[Bted]

Hi Bted! All i can say (without knowing your health situation) is that nonheme iron requires a good quantity of vitamin C for bioavailability. Foods rich in iron need to be combined (eaten simultaneously) with foods rich in vitamin C (e.g. red beans + cabbage; buckwheat + kiwis, etc.). Also, try and check your liver condition: this leak of ferretine may be an indicator of serious liver issues(!).

Hi FFT's are all good, nothing else in the bloods out of normal range. I have been working with a dietician and I know my diet is bang on . Im a nurse practioner myself too. I dont really want to take iron supplements but may have to if things dont change. I was vegetarina for 2 years before going vegan in January. The low ferritin is a new thing for me

 

[FredVegrox]

Welcome to Vegan Forum, Bted. How is veganism growing where you are in Australia? Do you know about www.forksoverknives.com ? It is a very helpful site with the so very healthy way they show for eating without animal products or processed foods. I have been vegan for around seven years, and vegetarian before that for almost as many years, and have not experienced those problems. I only take supplements for vitamins B12 and C, I would take supplements for vitamin D if I didn't live where the sun is enough through the year for me to have my own vitamin D kept up.