Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [28]
Think of all the iron-rich foods you already eat, and then consider the foods you eat with them. You’ll probably find that you’re already eating iron and vitamin C together, which is why vegans can do so well nutritionally. Tofu, broccoli, and brown rice dishes, beans and salsa, and spinach salad with bell peppers and tomatoes are great iron and vitamin C combinations.
As you can see, vegans should have no problem getting the iron they need. You should be aware of the signs of iron deficiency, however, just in case you let your healthier eating habits slide. Iron anemia is more common in the general population than most folks realize, so be aware of your body and any symptoms.
Feeling fatigued or lethargic can be a sign of iron deficiency. If your blood iron levels are low, your capacity to work can be reduced, and you may get tired easily from normal physical exertion or exercise. The body needs iron to maintain a healthy immune system, so low iron stores can decrease your body’s ability to fight infections. Pale skin, breathlessness, feeling tired, lightheadedness, weakness, a sore or inflamed tongue, headaches, nausea, and abdominal pain are all associated with anemia.
Staying away from iron blockers
Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, but other foods and risk factors can lead to poor absorption. One of the main foods to avoid is cow’s milk — thank goodness you’re vegan now! The American Academy of Pediatrics has made a recommendation that children under the age of 1 year not be given any cow’s milk or milk products. A dairy-rich diet is more likely to cause iron deficiency, as cow’s milk has very little iron itself. Because calcium can interfere with iron absorption, eating a lot of dairy can lead to anemia.
The tannins and caffeine found in tea and coffee also can block iron absorption, so try drinking herbal or decaf teas and coffees instead if your iron levels are a concern. Because caffeine also affects calcium levels in the bones, it’s best to avoid drinking it regularly.
Phytates are naturally found in most plant foods, including soy and other beans, nuts, seeds, and grains. Phytates can bind with minerals like iron, making it more difficult for the body to absorb them. Luckily, cooking, sprouting, and soaking can help to disable phytates.
Unhealthy behaviors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption also can block your body’s ability to absorb and properly use iron.
Vitamin D: The Sunlight Vitamin
Did you know that you, as a human being, are kind of like a sunflower? Most plants create their food and energy from photosynthesis, the process by which they turn sunlight into chlorophyll (the green stuff in their leaves). Chlorophyll is basically trapped sunlight! The human body also uses the sun to create vital nutrients for energy use. One of these vitamins is vitamin D.
Proper vitamin D intake is essential for bone health and can reduce or prevent the onset of the bone disease osteoporosis. Vitamin D promotes bone formation by helping the body use calcium and phosphorus. Recent studies have shown that proper supplementation with vitamin D reduces and reverses bone loss, so there’s great hope for osteoporosis sufferers.
As an ex–milk drinker, you probably remember seeing cow’s milk cartons exclaiming that the product was “Vitamin D fortified!” This supplementation was necessary to stave off the rampant spread of rickets, a vitamin D deficiency, across the United States in the early 20th century. Because of this (and the “Got milk?” campaigns), most of us strongly link bone health with cow’s milk.
Vitamin D also is essential for a healthy immune system and for improved cardiovascular, skin, and prostate health. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s stored in the liver, and it can be used by the body during the dark winter. (Just don’t beat up your liver with alcohol; otherwise it can’t properly dispense the