Molasses for iron?

[Lyndzie]

Supposedly, a friend of a friend added 1 tbsp of blackstrap molasses daily and corrected her low iron. I don't have any numbers, and haven't spoken to this person directly, but is this possible? I best guess is that her diet was just a teensy bit low in iron, and the 2% from molasses was enough to bump her into a good place.

Additional question: what is a good way to boost low iron with WFPB?

[Katydid]

Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of non-heme iron, but so are edamame and tofu, lentils, split peas and beans, leafy green veggies (although spinach and chard are relatively high in oxalic acid which can be problematic for some), and if you use cold breakfast cereals or nut milks, they may be fortified with iron, so check labels.
Kate

[Crystal_Pegasus]

I was told that trying to boost my low iron enough would be difficult with food alone (may depend how low the iron level is), so went on a supplement. WARNING: Too much iron can be dangerous, so NEVER TAKE A SUPPLEMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED LOW AND TOLD TO TAKE IT. Iron supplements can be very dangerous, even fatal, for children also. Iron levels can take quite some time to normalise long term (and may not if due to certain conditions) so may be needed for several months. There are potential risks with iron supplements, so use your commonsense and get a second opinion if you are concerned.

Of course I have also been paying attention to good 'iron habits' in my diet too.
Things to remember when trying to increase iron are:
Eat plenty of veg iron rich foods every day. (well duh lol) There's lots of info out there about sources.

Always eat foods high in Vitamin C with other food as it enhances iron absorption dramatically. Luckily, many veg high in iron are also high in Vit C. Some iron rich veg also have things in the which inhibit iron absorption. The Vit C can help, but some may actually supply less iron than expected.

Remember, it's the iron you absorb that matters, not how much something contains. Non-heme iron is not absorbed very well, so you need to take in plenty.

Iron is absorbed at a rate partly depending on how much you currently have in your system, so having some iron rich foods spread out through the day will allow your body to absorb more than if you had it all at once.

Don't have foods enriched with calcium, zinc, magnesium at the same time (or supplements, if you take them) as they inhibit absorption. Some cereals for instance, although enriched with iron, also have these other minerals. Allow a hour or so between the iron foods and taking them.

Don't drink tea, most herbal teas, coffee etc within an hour of eating foods for iron as they inhibit absorption.

Some sources say soy inhibits absorption, others say it is insignificant... however check if the soy milk has added calcium.


Anyway, that's a few hints. I may have forgotten some, so do some research of you want as there's lots of info out there about it.

[petmomful]

I had a girlfriend during my childhood whose mom made her children take a tablespoon of Blackstrap every single day, for iron.