Get the chills? Check your iron intake!

[Robert Z]

Ever since I started a highly controlled diet and exercise program, I would often get the chills for a short time after working out. This would always happen after a particularly hard work out. I mentioned this to the sb and she was experiencing the same effect.

 

I started checking and found that heart-friendly diets void of red meat are often low in iron. Iron-fortified breakfast cereals provide 100% of the daily requirement, but if you don't eat these cereals it can be tough to get enough iron even from iron-rich vegetables. After evaluating my diet it was clear that I wasn't getting enough iron. Also, it turns out that iron is critical in regulating body temperature.

 

I started adding about 15 mg of iron a day to my supplements and the chills immediately stopped. Then my sb started taking One-a-Day with iron and she also stopped getting the chills immediately.

 

It is important not to exceed the RDA. Too much iron can be a huge problem. But we need about 18mg of iron a day. And for some reason most vitamins and mineral supplements DO NOT include iron.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Robert Z

[FitChick]

Because women bleed every month, they need to supplement if they are not eating iron rich foods. Men and post menopausal women should be very careful with adding iron to their diets. You could always play it safe and donate blood if you are worried you might have too much.

 

Quick way to tell if you might need iron is to pull down your lower eyelid. If it's a bright pink or red, you have enough iron. If very pale, you might need more.

[beach]

In order to know for sure - get your blood work done.

[SoonMyFriend]

Like FitChick mentioned there are signs your body doesn't have enough iron, but you should really work with a doctor to ensure you get the appropriate dosages.

 

And you need to get checked periodically to ensure the supplements you are taking are actually working. I am deficient (not anemic but on the edge) and I've had to change the type of iron supplement I take from time to time to see what my body responds to.

 

Getting blood work done has to be the first step.

 

There could also be underlying health reasons why you have low iron, other than your exercise/diet. (Digestive issues, internal bleeding from an ulcer or anything else, etc).

 

Also, getting blood work done can tell you if you have other low levels (for example, I am also low in B12).

[Chocolat]

Iron increases free radicals. I absolutely would not take a supplement unless I knew for sure that I was deficient (vitamin B12 deficiency presents almost identically to iron deficiency) and then only if I couldn't bring my levels to normal through diet.

[Robert Z]

I was counting the milligrams of iron in my diet. I didn't start adding iron based on anecdotal evidence. I wasn't getting anywhere near the RDA a large percentage of the time. And I almost never got the RDA. Many days I was only getting 3 or 4 mg. I am only replacing what I would be getting from breakfast cereals and red meat were I still eating those. Also, I am skipping it on days when I eat red meat.

 

 

I will be getting things checked again soon but I am not exceeding the RDA. Why is this any worse than eating two bowls of breakfast cereal? That is just an iron supplement of another variety. It isn't naturally occurring.

[FitChick]

You can get iron from spinach and most dark, leafy greens like kale, as well as from prunes.

[SoonMyFriend]

I was counting the milligrams of iron in my diet. I didn't start adding iron based on anecdotal evidence. I wasn't getting anywhere near the RDA a large percentage of the time. And I almost never got the RDA. Many days I was only getting 3 or 4 mg. I am only replacing what I would be getting from breakfast cereals and red meat were I still eating those. Also, I am skipping it on days when I eat red meat.

 

 

I will be getting things checked again soon but I am not exceeding the RDA. Why is this any worse than eating two bowls of breakfast cereal? That is just an iron supplement of another variety. It isn't naturally occurring.

 

It's no worse, but it depends what your body is actually absorbing. Some people can only really ingest iron if it's through meat, some don't respond to supplements, some don't properly break down leafy veggies, which is why it's good to work with a doctor.

 

I just warn against too much iron because it does have side effects - including constipation

[regine_phalange]

In my last blood examination, I had very good levels of iron (I have even grown even more hair the last months). But I don't really eat red meat, mosty chicken. What the woman at the laboratory asked me, is whether I eat lemon when I eat meat/spinach etc. Truth is, I drown everything in lemon juice because I like it so much. It seems that vitamin C pretty much helps iron absorption.

[whichwayisup]

Actually low B12 has the same symptoms. If you need iron, then your B12 is totally depleted and that's dangerous.

 

Get your blood levels checked before taking any iron sups. Iron is very hard on one's system, and it's painful if you get the shots too.

 

I get monthly B12 shots as I have a B12 deficiency.