iron deficiency

Question
-Many thanks .Is it OK to take a zinc tablet several hours after the iron tablets .I do have Calcium pills since I dont  eat dairy products and I try to take this at a different time from the iron. Are these different supplements absorbed within a couple of hours of taking and so can be taken without interaction with each other ? Gill------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I've been told to take 2 tablets of 200 mg of ferrous sulphate-  or a total of 130mg of ferrous iron daily for 3 months to correct an iron deficiency.
Does this affect my zinc and other mineral balances? - should I incease zinc tablets and if so how much?
Is there a better form of iron that I can take  - I dont eat meat ?
Thanks
Answer -
Hi Gillian,

I would not recommend taking a zinc supplement if you are taking an iron supplement, as the zinc will significantly decrease the absorption of the iron. The iron supplement should not affect your dietary zinc absorption (calcium is the mineral that decreases zinc absorption the most).

If you developed iron deficiency due to poor dietary iron intake, make sure that your diet is now adequate in iron, to prevent this from happening again in the future. The type of supplement you are taking is fine; you may want to take it with orange juice or another good source of vitamin C to help improve the iron absorption.

For an in-depth look at minerals in the vegetarian diet, as well as all other aspects of vegetarian nutrition, I would suggest you read _Becoming Vegetarian_ by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis (it should be available at your local library).

Hope that helps!

Karen

Answer
Hi again Gill,

You are correct in not taking these supplements at the same time. Unfortunately, as I already mentioned, the zinc will decrease iron absorption. Calcium can decrease zinc absorption as well, and should not be taken at the same time as iron either! So if you really want to take all 3 supplements, I would suggest taking iron in the morning, zinc midday and calcium in the evening. What I would suggest, however, is to consider increasing your dietary zinc and calcium intake and discontinue the supplements. Nutrients from food are better absorbed by the body, and are provided in smaller doses, which decreases the chances of nutrient interactions. If you don't consume dairy, you can still get plenty of calcium from plant sources, including calcium fortified orange juice or soymilk, calcium-set tofu, broccoli, and many varieties of beans, just to name a few sources. _Becoming Vegan_ by Vesanto and Davis details how to obtain adequate calcium from plant sources. Good sources of zinc include tahini (sesame seed paste), pumpkin and sunflower seeds, tofu and legumes.

Hope that clarifies things a bit!

Karen

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