Ask The Nutritionist!

Ask the nutritionist!

Each week, we are doing #askthenutritionist, where we will answer your question of the week, and also take your questions for future editions!

This week's question: “My iron levels are low, should I be taking an iron supplement?”

The answer is not necessarily. There are a few reasons why your iron might be low and you may be able to make tweaks that allow you to bypass iron supplementation. If you have a heavy menstrual flow, you may consider an iron supplement around your time of the month (but no more! Heavy iron supplementation can reduce your absorption of iron from food).

It is also possible you have an issue with absorption in your gut. You may try a few things for this: cutting out gluten (super easy if you use a gluten-free meal service), drinking aloe vera juice, and taking a probiotic. A few dietary tweaks you can make to up your dietary iron include: steamed dark leafy greens (broccoli, spinach, sprouts), red meat, organ meats, and switch all grains to whole grains. You may also try a beef liver supplement that will offer iron along with a ton of other nutrients. I would suggest trying each of these for a few weeks to see what works for you!