bloodwork says low iron/vit D

[frumpy2fabulous]

I had a full bloodwork done because I was feeling pretty yucky and I wanted to do that before starting Atkins. It came back with some bad news. I have high cholesterol (sp?) low iron and low Vitamin D. I was told to go on a diet/exercise plan, take a multiple vitamin with iron along with vitamine D w/ calcium. I have read that I should take a vitamin supplement without iron if I follow the Atkins plan. Has anyone had low iron and followed the Atkins plan w/o taking iron supplement? I'm asking because iron has always made me feel sick/sometimes vomit and I was thinking if I followed a clean Atkins (something I have never done) my iron would improve. I also am very tired and feeling generally weak so I'm sure I need that iron and may start a supplement to begin with until my next bloodwork is done in 2 months unless I start to vomit from the vitamins-obviously not going to take then.

[jimmie 48]

Re: bloodwork says low iron/vit D

i'm glad to see the bio's nutrient of the week was very timely for you!

Nutrient of the week: IRON--what's with all the fuss about it?

[biogeek]

Re: bloodwork says low iron/vit D

Our bodies can produce vitamin D just by being exposed to sunlight. Since summer is just around the corner, a little sun should help.

Good natural sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, etc, butter, egg yolks. Veggies tend to be low in Vit. D, but the dark green leafy types have the highest in the plant world.

There's also two main types of Vitamin D, D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol, and the active form). D2 is the form that's added to foods such as milk and in supplements. Once ingested, it gets converted to D3, which is also a hormone.

The RSD for vit D is 200 - 400 IU daily. You have to watch out about not taking too much b/c it will cause toxity issues. If you take too much Vit D, it can increase your blood concentration of calcium (serious!), cause calcium to be deposited into your internal organs and blood vessels, and cause kidney stones. Vitamin D and calcium metabolism are closely intertwined.

There are now supplements that address the close interactions of certain vitamins and minerals and offer them as such. One of the supplements that I take has calcium, vit D, magnesium, and zinc combined. It's not a multivitamin, as it only has these four nutrients. I take them separate from when I take my multivitamin. They also have some without the zinc, as that can cause nausea in some individuals.

Hope this helps!