5 ms·

People in the industrialized world probably get way too much iron, to the point it's implicated in disease. So personally I'll skip the iron fish.

GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
In the US, women's multivitamins tend to have iron in them.
- beejiu 11y ago
  It's much cheaper to buy unbranded, white-box multivitamins than gender- or vitamin- specific multivitamins. They often contain a wider variety of vitamins, too. Just read the label and make sure they include iron.
  - GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
    That has not been my experience purchasing multivitamins.
pharke 11y ago
It depends on your diet. People who eat a lot of red meat are going to be fine though, as mentioned in the article, it is possible to be anemic from a B12 or vitamin A deficiency as well which could result from a poor diet even if it is high in red meat, the fish won't help with those unfortunately. If your diet doesn't include red meat or has very little of it you could very well become iron deficient. Anyone who lives in an industrialized nation would derive more benefit from eating a balanced diet if they can afford the time and money to do so. However, if you have very little time and money you might wind up in the same pot as the poor Cambodians. Poverty knows no borders after all.
- dualogy 11y ago
  I sincerely doubt any diet rich in (reasonably fatty, reasonably "unprocessed") meat would show a Vitamin A deficiency, unless too much of such plant matter as hampers bioavailability and absorption is consumed concurrently. Of course, a diet sufficient in (decent) meat is precisely what the world's poorest can't quite afford. But just to pick nits.
Kenji 11y ago
Nonsense. Iron deficiency is common in 1st world countries, especially among young girls who started to have their period which makes them lose a lot of iron. In general, starving yourself to meet the skinny beauty ideals (which is widespread) will lead to a host of problems, among them iron deficiency.
DanBC 11y ago
Too much iron is rare and is the result of either inherited disease or overdose through careless supplement use. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Haemochromatosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Haemochromatosis/Pages/Introduc... http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Iron.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Iron.as... > So personally I'll skip the iron fish. It's not aimed at you. It's aimed at communities that have micronutrient deficiencies. Very many people (billions) have diets deficient in iron. https://www.wfp.org/hunger/faqs https://www.wfp.org/hunger/faqs > Micronutrient - vitamin and mineral - deficiencies are very important, afflicting nearly two billion people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, deficiencies of iron, vitamin A, and zinc rank among the top ten leading causes of death through disease in developing countries. > Iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition, affecting billions of people worldwide. Iron deficiency damages a country's productivity and impedes cognitive development. Here's a nice story about fortification of rice in India: https://www.wfp.org/stories/fortification-helps-combat-chronic-iron-deficiency-india%E2%80%99s-school-children https://www.wfp.org/stories/fortification-helps-combat-chron...
tormeh 11y ago
Not if you menstruate.
- a8da6b0c91d 11y ago
  Iron loss from menstruation is a few milligrams per day. Women absorb iron more efficiently. It is a myth that women need more iron than men. Iron accumulates in tissues over time and contributes to aging. Excess iron is very clearly linked to cancer and heart disease. I make a point of giving blood a couple times a year and avoid the iron fortified cereals and flours. It's very often reduced iron, which is especially toxic.
deleted 11y ago
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GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago

In the US, women's multivitamins tend to have iron in them.

beejiu 11y ago
It's much cheaper to buy unbranded, white-box multivitamins than gender- or vitamin- specific multivitamins. They often contain a wider variety of vitamins, too. Just read the label and make sure they include iron.
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
  That has not been my experience purchasing multivitamins.

pharke 11y ago

It depends on your diet. People who eat a lot of red meat are going to be fine though, as mentioned in the article, it is possible to be anemic from a B12 or vitamin A deficiency as well which could result from a poor diet even if it is high in red meat, the fish won't help with those unfortunately. If your diet doesn't include red meat or has very little of it you could very well become iron deficient. Anyone who lives in an industrialized nation would derive more benefit from eating a balanced diet if they can afford the time and money to do so. However, if you have very little time and money you might wind up in the same pot as the poor Cambodians. Poverty knows no borders after all.

dualogy 11y ago
I sincerely doubt any diet rich in (reasonably fatty, reasonably "unprocessed") meat would show a Vitamin A deficiency, unless too much of such plant matter as hampers bioavailability and absorption is consumed concurrently. Of course, a diet sufficient in (decent) meat is precisely what the world's poorest can't quite afford. But just to pick nits.

Kenji 11y ago

Nonsense. Iron deficiency is common in 1st world countries, especially among young girls who started to have their period which makes them lose a lot of iron. In general, starving yourself to meet the skinny beauty ideals (which is widespread) will lead to a host of problems, among them iron deficiency.

DanBC 11y ago

Too much iron is rare and is the result of either inherited disease or overdose through careless supplement use. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Haemochromatosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Haemochromatosis/Pages/Introduc... http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Iron.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Iron.as... > So personally I'll skip the iron fish. It's not aimed at you. It's aimed at communities that have micronutrient deficiencies. Very many people (billions) have diets deficient in iron. https://www.wfp.org/hunger/faqs https://www.wfp.org/hunger/faqs > Micronutrient - vitamin and mineral - deficiencies are very important, afflicting nearly two billion people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, deficiencies of iron, vitamin A, and zinc rank among the top ten leading causes of death through disease in developing countries. > Iron deficiency is the most prevalent form of malnutrition, affecting billions of people worldwide. Iron deficiency damages a country's productivity and impedes cognitive development. Here's a nice story about fortification of rice in India: https://www.wfp.org/stories/fortification-helps-combat-chronic-iron-deficiency-india%E2%80%99s-school-children https://www.wfp.org/stories/fortification-helps-combat-chron...

tormeh 11y ago

Not if you menstruate.

a8da6b0c91d 11y ago
Iron loss from menstruation is a few milligrams per day. Women absorb iron more efficiently. It is a myth that women need more iron than men. Iron accumulates in tissues over time and contributes to aging. Excess iron is very clearly linked to cancer and heart disease. I make a point of giving blood a couple times a year and avoid the iron fortified cereals and flours. It's very often reduced iron, which is especially toxic.

deleted 11y ago

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