What Is Iron?
Plant Based Iron Is less Available Too The Body
Because nonheme (plant-based) iron is less readily available to the body, vegans may need to supplement their iron intake to ensure adequate absorption.
Heme Iron Found In Plants is Safer
While heme iron is more readily available to the body, we do not have a mechanism in place to regulate excess heme consumption, thus, non heme iron found in plants is a safer option.
2 Forms Of Iron
Dietary iron comes in two main forms: heme (from animal-based sources) and non-heme (from both animal and plant sources).
Supports Many Functions
Iron helps to support many functions in the body such as the production of energy and immune response.
Iron is a mineral that your body needs in order to maintain a healthy blood system. Iron is a key component in hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Because iron is an essential mineral in blood production, iron deficiency can lead to detrimental effects such as anemia - a condition in which blood lacks an adequate level of healthy red blood cells. When iron levels are low, you may experience a lack of focus, increased irritability, and reduced stamina.
Iron can be found in a variety of foods such as shellfish, spinach, liver, legumes, pumpkin seeds and red meat. Iron from dietary sources comes in two main forms: heme and nonheme. Plants and iron-supplemented foods only contain nonheme iron, whereas animal based products can contain either or both forms. Heme iron is more readily available and easily absorbed by the body but overconsumption poses serious health risks.
What Is The Recommended Daily Amount of Iron?
While iron has a “safe” upper limit of 40-45mg per day, we use a gentle dose of 8mg to ensure that you are getting no more than what you need for optimal health. When consuming doses higher than 45mg, one becomes at risk for iron toxicity which can cause gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, and pain. Men are particularly at risk considering that the average male in the US consumes significantly more iron than recommended (10-15 the recommended amount). This can have adverse side effects on men’s reproductive health so adhering to the daily recommended dosage is particularly important for men!
Why Do Vegans Need Iron?
Those following an omnivorous diet can receive iron from various animal-based sources such as shellfish, liver and other organs, red meat, turkey, chicken and eggs. These animal-based products contain iron in heme form which is better absorbed by the body when compared to non-heme absorption. While heme iron is more easily absorbed, it is not as easily excreted in the body when absorbed in excess. In fact, the human body has no mechanism to excrete excess heme iron once it is absorbed which may increase the formation of cancer causing compounds.
What Vegan Foods Are Rich In Iron?
Fortunately, those following a plant-based diet can still meet daily iron requirements by eating sufficient non-heme rich plant foods such as dark leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and legumes. Non-heme sources of iron can meet a vegan’s nutritional needs without posing risk to our health since our bodies can better control the absorption of nonheme iron as compared to heme iron from animal-based sources.
Although plant-based foods contain iron in a form that is less available to the body, there are ways in which vegans can enhance the absorption of nonheme iron such as consuming vitamin C alongside these iron-rich plants. That’s one of the reasons we decided to include Vitamin C in the formulation of our Multivitamin for Vegans.
Why Vegans May Need To Supplement Their Iron Intake
Considering there is a lesser degree of bioavailability of plant-based iron, vegans may need to ensure that sufficiency is prioritized. Nonheme iron, found in plant-sources, is around 1/2 as bioavailable as heme iron which is found in animal sources. Research into the iron levels of vegans showed that female vegans are particularly prone to iron-deficiency and anemia when compared to omnivores. This is especially true during times of menstruation when women lose a lot of iron. Additionally, endurance athletes lose iron through sweat and repetitive motions of their muscles. Thus, iron supplementation for women and athletes that follow a plant-based diet is especially pertinent.
Iron Sustainability
Why Is It Important To Know Where Iron Comes From?
If you’ve discovered our brand, it’s likely that you have embraced a vegan diet to minimize your footprint on the planet all the while enhancing your own health and wellbeing. That’s why it’s important to know where your iron comes from. While most iron supplements are made up of ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate, or ferric sulfate (which are all suitable for vegans), there are some iron supplements on the market that consist of heme-based iron sources such as animal liver or bovine hemoglobin. If you’ve chosen to embrace a plant-based diet because you love the earth and all of its inhabitants, we encourage you to double check the source of your supplements!
How Do We Source Iron Sustainably?
We source our iron with you and the planet in mind. The health of the planet and people are our priorities which is why we’ve chosen ferrous bisglycinate chelate for its high absorption rate and reduced gastrointestinal side effects. We also source our iron domestically so that it doesn’t have to travel far to make it to your home. We also work with a supplier that is committed to minimizing their footprint through energy efficient manufacturing facilities, responsible sourcing practices, and aggressive emissions reductions goals. This way, we can create products that leave a big impact on your health and a small impact on our planet.
Discover Our Vegan Multivitamin's Other Ingredients
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Vitamin D3
Why Vitamin D3?Increases natural collagen production, while boosting your musculoskeletal system health and clearing skin.
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Iron
Why Iron?Enhances red blood cell production and oxygen flow and is known to promote athletic endurance.
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Magnesium
Why Magnesium?Helps your body absorb the other minerals in our formula for optimal effects.
