93 | Do You Need Iron Supplements When Eating Plant-Based?

When you move from a meat-heavy diet to a plant-based one, there will obviously be a shift in the kinds of foods you are eating. And since meats and other animal-based protein products are a source of iron, it’s natural to be worried about how you’ll get the iron you need, if you take these foods out of your diet. So, will you seriously lack iron and get anemic once you start eating plant-based? And to prevent that happening, do you need to rely on iron supplements?

 

Let’s discuss that today. In this episode, we’ll look at whether eating plant-based would be adequate to maintain good iron levels, or if iron supplements should be a critical part of a plant-based diet, and if you need to start taking them right away. Ready to dive into this with me? Let’s go! 

 

Note:  Before taking any iron supplements, it is recommended to have your iron levels tested first, to check what your iron levels are, and to rule out a condition called hemochromatosis. In hemochromatosis, the body has an issue with iron overload, and absorbs too much iron from food.

 

 

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[Plant Based Diet, Nutrition, Iron, Health, Whole Foods, Plantbased Eating, Anemia, Iron Deficiency, Key Nutrients, Plant-Based Nutrition, Supplements, Meats]

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
When you move from a meat-heavydiet to a plant-based one, there
will obviously be a shift in thekinds of foods you are eating.
And since meats and other animal-basedprotein products are a source of iron,
it's natural to be worried about howyou'll get the iron you'll need if
you take these foods out of your diet.
So will you seriously lack iron and getanemic once you start eating plant-based?

(00:27):
And to prevent that happening, doyou need to rely on iron supplements?
Let's discuss that today.
In this episode, we'll look at whethereating plant-based would be adequate
to maintain good iron levels or ifiron supplements should be a critical
part of a plant-based diet, and if youneed to start taking them right away.

(00:48):
Ready to dive into this with me?
Let's go!
Welcome to the Plant BasedEating Made Easy Podcast.
I'm your host, Anna Tseng, plant-basedRegistered Dietitian and Transition Coach.
Hi Friend, do you want to regain yourhealth with plant-based eating but feel
overwhelmed and lost about how to do it?

(01:10):
Do you feel it'll be hard to changeyour meat-heavy diet and impossible
with working, running the home,or chasing after the grandkids?
If so, you're in the right place.
Here you'll find simple strategies,clear nutrition guidance and
practical tips to help you thriveplant-powered with more energy.
So, if you're ready to ditchthe guesswork and transform

(01:31):
your health the stress-free way.
Cozy up now with a hot cup of tea orlisten while you walk and let me show
you how doable plant-based eating can be.
Let's do this!
I remember some time ago, a newmember in my Free Beginners for Plant
Based Diet Success Community groupon Facebook, making a post to ask

(01:53):
this, " Can I get enough vitaminsand nutrients from a plant-based diet
alone, or are supplements required?"
He had experienced a sudden heartattack in the recent past, which
led him to make big changes to hislifestyle, eating and physical activity
habits, losing weight in the process.
He was now looking to reap the benefitsof a whole food plant-based diet.

(02:18):
I can understand hisconcern and uncertainty.
Plant-based diet nutrition isactually an area I see many struggling
with in their diet transition.
That's because there's so much informationand disinformation on the internet,
multiple vitamin and mineral supplementsmarketed towards vegans, and what seems

(02:39):
to be a gazillion protein powder options.
So it's really hard to know whatto actually believe and follow.
So what's the truth?
Do you need to take multiple supplements,including iron, just to try to cover
your bases moving into this lifestyle?
Somehow, that just doesn't seem right.

(03:00):
I agree, it doesn't.
And you don't need to take agazillion dietary supplements
just to be on a plant-based diet.
That's why I'm doing thispodcast episode today.
I want to give you clear nutritionguidance on one common nutrient
of concern, iron, so you can makea wise decision going forward on

(03:20):
whether to take iron supplements inthe future while eating plant-based.
Let's begin by looking at a2021 study that was published
in the journal Biomolecules, bySigrun Hendrum and colleagues.
These researchers wanted to find out ifremoving meats or meat products from the
diet would be linked with an increasedrisk of people becoming deficient

(03:44):
in specific nutrients, such as iron.
So they took 191 healthy adults residingin Norway from three diet groups, vegan,
vegetarian, and pescatarian, and measuredtheir blood markers for iron status,
along with iodine and vitamin B12.
To me, this study isimpressive on a few fronts.

(04:08):
First, a good sample sizeof vegans were included.
Unlike other studies where thenumber of participants on a vegan
diet is usually the least, inthis study it was the opposite.
There were 106 vegans, 54 vegetarians,and 31 pescatarians, meaning they
included fish and seafood as the onlyanimal-based foods in their diet.

(04:32):
Secondly, in order to be selected forthis study, the participants had to be
strictly following their self-selecteddiets for a minimum of 6 months or more.
To me, that's ideal because if you reallywant to assess the potential impact
of eating patterns, you would wantstudy participants to be on their diets

(04:52):
for at least a decent length of time.
In fact, the mean adherence tovegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian
diets among participants in thisstudy was 5, give or take 3 years,
with a total range of 1 to 10 years.
It's also great that strict definitions ofeach diet group were applied because some

(05:13):
studies use very loose definitions andthat would definitely impact the results.
Thirdly, the researchers werevery thorough in using multiple
measures to evaluate iron status.
The blood iron biomarkers measuredwere serum ferritin, serum iron, and
serum total iron binding capacity.
Serum transferrin saturation levels werealso estimated for the participants.

(05:39):
Lastly, researchers also asked about ironsupplement usage within each diet group.
So what were the results?
Researchers found that the medianconcentration of blood markers for
iron status were within the normalrange for each diet group, and
there was no significant differencebetween the groups, so the majority

(06:00):
had sufficient iron status.
There was also low reported ironsupplement usage in each diet group,
with just 12 out of 106 vegans, 2 outof 54 vegetarians, and 3 out of 31
pescatarians, who reported taking aniron supplement in the last 24 hours.
As a result, researchers stated thattheir data suggests that even on a

(06:24):
vegan diet, it's possible for bothgenders to obtain adequate iron status
as measured by these blood markers.
However, female vegans and vegetariansof reproductive age are at risk of low
iron status due to menstrual losses andshould have their iron status monitored.
The results of this study are reassuring.

(06:46):
It seems like you don't automaticallyneed iron supplements just because
you are eating a vegan or plant-baseddiet and excluding all meat
and animal-based food products.
That's good news, not just from aconvenience and financial standpoint,
but also from a health standpoint too.
Because what many peopledon't realize is that iron is

(07:07):
actually a double-edged sword.
When there's too much iron withincells and tissues, iron can increase
the propagation of reactive oxygenspecies, leading to oxidative stress,
and oxidative stress is associatedwith tissue injury and disease.
Besides causing gastrointestinalupset, high dose iron supplements

(07:30):
containing 25 mg of iron or more cannegatively impact zinc absorption
and plasma zinc concentrations.
So iron is something we want just enoughof, but not too much in our systems.
However, there are two situations whereI would recommend iron supplementation.

(07:50):
First, if you have already been diagnosedwith iron deficiency anemia, you
need to be treated for it, regardlessof the kind of diet you are on.
Iron plays key roles in our body,including the transfer of oxygen in
tissues, synthesis and repair of DNA,and metabolism of xenobiotics, which are
foreign chemical substances in the body.

(08:13):
So if you have iron deficiency anemiaand your doctor recommends you take an
iron supplement to increase your ironblood biomarkers, then I would certainly
suggest you follow that advice untilyour blood iron levels are back up.
Secondly, if you are in a stage oflife with extremely high increased
iron needs, then I would also suggesttaking an iron supplement regularly.

(08:37):
The best example of thisis during pregnancy.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance orRDA for an adult female between 19 to
50 years of age is 18 mg of iron daily.
But during pregnancy, the RDA jumpsto 27 mg a day due to the increased
iron needs for both the pregnantmama and the developing fetus.

(09:01):
So during pregnancy, I feel a prenatalvitamin with iron supplement is wise to
take due to the high iron requirementsduring this time period, especially
if the pregnant woman is having a poorappetite and intake due to frequent
bouts of morning sickness or nausea.
You won't want to risk gettingiron deficiency anemia and

(09:22):
affect your developing fetus.
If you have been diagnosed withborderline low iron levels though,
know that there are many things youcan do to increase your iron intake
and improve your blood iron biomarkers.
Two key areas are to increase the amountsand types of iron rich plant-based
foods you are eating in your mealsand snacks, and the other area is

(09:42):
to use smart iron absorption boostingstrategies to improve the absorption of
iron from your intake into your body.
So today, we looked at a common worryor concern among new plant-based eaters,
and that's of low iron levels, andwhether iron supplements are needed
eating a vegan or plant-based diet.
And based on our discussion today, wesaw that the answer is 'it depends'.

(10:08):
While the majority of those on a veganor plant-based diet won't need iron
supplementation, there are certainspecific circumstances where temporary
iron supplementation would be warranted.
Regardless of what life stage you're inthough, I think it would be wise to get
your iron levels checked periodically.
That way, you can monitor how you'redoing in the current way you're eating

(10:31):
and if you need to make adjustments.
You may know by now, from listeningto this podcast, that there are many
different ways to eat plant-based.
Even if a person is on a vegan orplant-based diet, they may still not be
eating the healthiest and most nutritiousfoods for their body, especially if
they are relying mostly on highlyprocessed commercial vegan products.

(10:55):
So it's important to know that thefoods you choose to eat in your
vegan or plant-based diet, alongwith smart iron absorption boosting
strategies, can impact your ironstatus and blood iron biomarkers.
So, if you would like support in yourdiet transition to help you eat the
best plant-based diet possible andget the best nutrition and iron levels

(11:16):
eating this way, reach out to me.
Send me an email [e-mail] or apply
for a free Rapid Health TransformationCall using the links in the show notes.
I would love to help you plan outyour diet transition so you can truly
thrive eating plant-powered for life.
I look forward toconnecting with you soon.

(11:40):
Thank you for listening to the PlantBased Eating Made Easy Podcast.
If this podcast has helped you,please take a moment to rate and
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Remember that moving to plant-basedeating can be simple and doable,

(12:04):
even with your existing healthchallenges and busy lifestyle.
If you have a plant-based diet questionyou'd like me to answer on this show,
share that question with me using thecontact options in the show notes.
Thanks for joining me today andI can't wait to connect with
you again in the next episode.
Until next time, keep plant-focusedand thriving, my Friend!