The Safety of Heme vs. Nonheme Iron

[@highcarbschwabe658]

Vegetarians who consume lots of milk/dairy products are indeed at a higher risk for iron deficiency because these foods reduce iron bioavailibility.

[@eldiariodelgeek4220]

Consumption of cow's milk by infants and toddlers has adverse effects on their iron stores. pubmed/22043881

[@Ibnmichael]

& I believe that’s cause of the calcium correct? Or is there more?

[@ernestoacosta1154]

It would be really good to have these studies linked in the description! Besides from that, great video :)

[@georgehornsby2075]

They are all linked to on the nutritionfacts website and you can watch the video there also

[@plantsandplanes8865]

I went thru a difficult time in my life when I was donating my blood plasma regularly just to get by (most places pay you $20 for your donation) and I was turned down half the time though because of my iron being too low (they always get a blood sample before you can give). The only way I could get clearance to donate was if I ate some red meat before I went in. But it was a roller coaster effect. I never had STEADY iron levels. But when I went completely plant based I never had another problem with my iron again. Seriously, I've never had a bad iron levels on a blood test since being on a WFPB lifestyle. YAY PLANT IRON!!!!!!! 👏🎈🎉🎊

[@sonja4164]

Wow! We're you eating vitamin c rich foods with your iron rich foods? I've had low iron blood since childhood, as a red meat eaters. Ive eaten a wfpb diet for almost 4 yrs now. I don't want to continue to have to take iron supplements though.

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

You are/were likely eating Legumes. Legumes bind to the iron(all minerals) and prevent the absorption into your body.

[@sandracarli1110]

I can say the same. Now my hands are always warm and I feel warmer when I go out. I'm no longer the typical woman who has cold hands and cold feet.

[@nerychristian]

It could be also related to better overall health and blood circulation. When one goes vegan, the arteries probably clear up over time, improving blood flow to the extremities.

[@Zajc3wpl]

BULLSHIT I went meat free for 4 months and landed in hospital after fainting at work, acute anaemia, never had haemoglobin below 14 before(11-14 is considered healthy level) below 6 you're dying I had 7 when submitted to hospital.

[@dokehannah]

My grandmother had a stroke and the doctor told her not to eat salt. Meat was never mentioned to her and that surprised me.

[@wadepatton2433]

dokehannah Doctors are notoriously under-educated about nutrition and generally don't have the time or inclination to pursue our ever-evolving knowledge by chasing the studies as Michael Greger does. Dr. Greger's materials could be of GREAT benefit to any medical practice, but the physicians must understand the need. Sadly most don't. Try nutritionfacts.org to search up more videos and articles-on practically everything diet related.

[@theneedledrop]

Blood cookies?!?!? 😖😖😖😖😖😖

[@carsonj85]

Bloodtahny Cookietano

[@kreassiva9138]

theneedledrop sick

[@internetexplorer789]

Go off sis💯😻

[@MayorBrownn]

Nastyyyy

[@kazzz2765]

Best vegan teeth in the game

[@Welcome-to-your-life]

Hulk and Popeye never got anemia (secret is the greens)

[@Welcome-to-your-life]

***** ...they eventually start eating greens again ;)

[@ResurrectionRefuge]

Vegan Gardener Neither did the Green Giant :P

[@Welcome-to-your-life]

Team Lift ho ho ho ;)

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

No.. the secret is not being ignorant. Not all greens are good for you.

[@kreassiva9138]

@@IgnoreMeImWrong that is not a discovery, nor what any real vegan doctor claims

[@swites]

So annoying! Whenever we get a "spokesperson" nutritionist on TV or the radio in NZ they always go on about the anaemia risk for vegetarians. "Oh you have to be really careful if you're a vegetarian/vegan because you don't get enough animal heme iron so you've got a good chance of being anaemic". They always then go on to say its because heme iron from meat is twice as easily absorbed. One has to wonder how a "respected go to" nutritionist can be so uneducated with these widely held but completely wrong and outdated beliefs about the superiority of heme based animal iron! Nice to see some good research in the topic :)

[@kisslissa]

Just had a brief lesson on vegetarianism/veganism in Food and Nutrition class and the fact that my teacher is sharing information communicating the supposed superiority of the heme iron found in animal products versus the nonheme iron in plant foods is killing me. I decided to check this video out after the lesson and, unsurprisingly, plant-based foods are clearly proven to be the better option. How could I politely present this information to my teacher? I really don't want to offend her. 😣 She also brought up the issue for calcium deficiency in vegans and, additionally, stressing how extremely difficult it is to manage one's health eating this way due to the lack of animal products. 😓 Help anyone?

[@harry_bonkers]

you can get calcium from leafy greens, or from calcium fortified vegan foods such as rice milk etc... teachers are not always correct

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

Unfortunately the foods that you can get these from, aren't always foods you should be consuming. Some will outright negate the health benefit you're going after. If you eat Legumes(peas, beans) with Spinach(iron mineral) the Legumes will bind to the iron and stop you from digesting/absorbing the iron. Veganism *can* be useful, but it usually isn't, because people don't do the research.

[@harry_bonkers]

***** do you have any actual proof of what you are claiming? The ADA has released a statement since 2009 where they say that a vegan/vegetarian diet is perfectly safe to follow, provided that is carefully planned. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864

[@danichan33]

OMG I feel you I'm in nursing school and I was so excited to take Nutrition but most of the class was spent emphasizing the industry's ideal diet; meat and dairy based. So many lies!!! We still talk about how steak is such a good food for iron-deficient people. UGH. OH and literally the other day my teacher told the whole class how RAW tomatoes are considered a very high sodium food? Ok maybe this teacher is just an idiot though.

[@danichan33]

You're right @L.A Xavier that there are MANY uninformed vegans which can be dangerous. But if you go about the WFPB diet decently and consider whether you're getting enough vitamins and minerals it is entirely possible to be exceptionally healthy (healthier than an omnivorous diet) as a vegan. I don't think your claim about legumes is substantiated.

[@IvanBFit]

BAD ASS video! I just referenced it to a commenter on my video and always can count on the reliable Dr. Greger! I recall in nutrition courses back in 2000-2004, professors talked about heme-iron being good and how plant-foods don't have them, thus justifying meat intake. What a crock of ****. Luckily I've been vegan for 3-years straight now and if anything, my stamina is much much better than before.

[@Zoe.TheBody360]

Anaemia is relatively rare but even in non-anemics low ferritin is extremely common especially in pre menopausal women. The signs of low ferritin are as bad as anaemia. I have not been able to maintain good ferritin levels greater than 50 with non-heme iron based foods. A lot of the high iron non-heme foods also contain a lot of oxalates and purines which inhibit iron absorption. I am not convinced by this study and cancer and heart attack risk...how do you separate the iron from the fact meat has more saturated fat and perhaps more hormones and other factors that could be cancer/heart attack causing? In the study did they just extract the heme iron or were they eating the whole meat product? Also there are definitely cardiac risks to having low ferritin and/or anaemic so low iron is a risk factor too.

[@BF3blog]

Those who eat more iron from meat also EAT MORE MEAT, hence the increase in heart disease.

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

That's not how that works.. lol.

[@r.m8146]

Rodney Kuhn Incomplete proteins? And you are calling people retarded? I mean, seriously?

[@ephesianarmorytchannel6838]

I just had a physical and bloodwork being a no excuse vegan while doing an experiment for school consuming 900% RDA of sugar. All my.numbers were perfect, except my iron. My doctor thought I was at risk of low iron, and it was slightly elevated.

[@ainsleyameerali7622]

Dr G .. words cannot express how thank full we are for allll your incredible work and research you have done .. totally appreciate you ... one in a billion ...

[@somedudeinatunnel3102]

Would've been a lot nicer to hear you talk about how our bodies regulate excess non-heme iron consumption instead of going on a rant about 'blood cookies' which virtually nobody is consuming.

[@sprfede]

Isn't it difficult to separate the effects from Heme-iron intake from meat intake altogether? I mean all these effects might be coming from other components in meat other than iron.

[@ilkajoesterperson2836]

I did I get out of this video that 1. You can get enough iron from plant based diets 2. Even though heme iron is absorbed faster this isn't better because there is no need to absorb iron faster 3. Iron from meat is a risk for diseases such as cancer and diabetes But I have one question left: Doesn't the human body need heme iron or is It capable of producing It itself?

[@atizeg]

Make sure there is vitamin C present when you take iron tablets (if you have to supplement). Vit C helps the absorbtion of iron and also helps to eliminate the excess if you had too much iron.

[@wadepatton2433]

atizeg There is no shortage of C in a WFPB diet. This is a better answer than chasing deficiencies with pills (which often don't work).

[@atizeg]

I do not promote iron supplementation. sdushdiu Wade Patton Do you really think everybody will ditch all the iron tablets by watching this video?!? I wanted to highlight the danger of iron supplementation! With Vit C the risk is less.

[@wadepatton2433]

atizeg Some may, but the billions of dollars pushing pills and potions will always have an upper hand over the truth. I was attempting to highlight the WFPB aspect (easy, effective) rather than a patchwork approach. (difficult, expensive, ineffective, possibly dangerous). good day.

[@atizeg]

Wade Patton "Some may" - I wrote my comment to them. Try to see the world from other's point of view. Some may have difficulties to change their habit.

[@wadepatton2433]

Certainly. I changed in the last 90 days. It's easy. They might think it is difficult. Fear of the unknown...cheers

[@ryanmorrison9937]

Great video! Could you please do a video on Maca and its energising properties and also how to take it safely. This would be great to know as an athlete. Thank you.

[@LindaWarner]

Ok great. I get it. So what would you recommend for someone who has had very, very low iron for at least 2 years? My ferritin is 5. What whole foods protocol would you recommend to elevate this more quickly? And what can I do to increase absorption of nonheme iron? Thank you. I am totally open to a whole food solution but have not seen a single protocol for what to do in my situation. Your expertise is welcomed.

[@natureasintended]

+Linda Warner Do you eat a vegan diet, rich in iron? www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/common-health-problems/anemia/

[@jimmypig9]

+Linda Warner have some blood pudding

[@LindaWarner]

natureasintended I was eating *mostly* vegan but then discovered my iron was very low. I was advised by a wholistic doctor to eat red meat 3-5x a week (and take vitamin C with it to increase iron absorption by 5x) until my levels were more normal. Hence my question about a whole foods solution as opposed to a red meat solution. Thanks.

[@LindaWarner]

jimmypig9 Thanks! I just looked this up... never heard of blood pudding before. Unfortunately I have celiac (very allergic to gluten) so this would not be an option. I appreciate the suggestion though!

[@jimmypig9]

Linda Warner that's a shame, maybe you could find a gluten free version but if you can't then try some red meat, it's the second highest thing in iron after black pudding, and it's heme iron so it's absorbed better

[@MedizinCannabis]

Dr. Greger, I highly appreciate your work and learn a lot from your videos. Thank you very much for your precious work!

[@iwentvegan4481]

Thanks Dr.Greger for all of your hard work

[@johnchaubuddha1231]

Does calcium and iron really cancel out each other's absorption?

[@TheAccessoryGirl]

Thank you Dr. Gregor for continuing to educate us!

[@TheVeganActivist]

Great video!

[@billthorne1]

Is there a study comparing the effects of plant heme (like that found in the roots of the giant fennel) with animal heme?

[@cheeriosonfire]

Will the consumption of non-heme iron help treat amenorrhea symptoms?

[@danielskipp1]

***** Yes. You better look at healing the cause of the issue though... detox, herbs, vegan diet high in fruit and minerals, holsitic therapies such as acupuncture and craniosacral are the best... many illnesses have a psychospiritual basis too.

[@cheeriosonfire]

Thanks for your suggestion Daniel. Since being on a plant-based diet for over three years, I dealt with such symptoms. I can't modify my diet because it's mainly composed of fruits and vegetables. I will, however, take into account your suggestion on behalf of psychospiritual aspects of healing and see how that turns out.

[@danielskipp1]

***** Cool. I can't praise acupuncture and craniosacral high enough BTW. They are deep.

[@adamsilva9611]

Where are the sources in this video?? I know we can pause the video, but I want to pass this one o my parents, and I don't think they'll do that. Thank you.

[@audreyharris7643]

In the description

[@lazarusdouvos]

my iron levels where going down gradually over a period of seven years even tho i was eating plenty of beans grains etc...... what is the solution?

[@dipenpatel5226]

I'm plant based and I appreciate what Dr. Gregger's content, but damn is he biased when it comes to covering risks of plant based diets. I just checked his channel and in this video specifically, there is no mention of non heme iron being more difficult to absorb. But he does have videos bashing heme iron and iron supplements. I think you shouldn't rely on this guy for all your information. Check some more moderate sources out as well. edit: I checked his website (nutritionfacts.org/topics/iron/). He does mention it, but never the less it is pretty hidden compared to the heme iron bashing.

[@donatreides]

Dr. Greger, can you include citations for the studies you referenced in the information under the video?

[@donatreides]

Nevermind, I found them on the site. They're listed here if anyone is interested: nutritionfacts.org/video/the-safety-of-heme-vs-non-heme-iron/

[@ErnestoFDali]

In these studies, is anyone differentiating results of eating grass fed animals vs. corn fed animals?

[@jankikandpal6237]

Great video

[@kimallen342]

Thank you for this video! I now have a solid science backed answer when asked that question!

[@marley7659]

I am on heme iron supplements after being low iron to anemic over the past 2.5 years. I just started this week after months of being fairly non responsive to non-heme iron. I know I have potential reasons to low iron status other than dietary intake. Although, I am not sure I can test or treat these parameters with my gp. I have been given 1 diagnosis although I still have yet to be given hormonal medication or reccommendations to lower that form of iron loss. Do you have any advice for women suffering from low iron status. No matter what healthy dietary pattern they may already hold?

[@lashondahursey6116]

What heme iron are you taking is it helping?

[@alvaromarquez8067]

La traducción al español está mal en la frase clave: los vegetarianos NO son más propensos a sufrir de anemia que los demás.

[@naturescorner8528]

Thank you for your videos Dr. Greger ....

[@garod4087]

Is it common for a vegan to have normal to high iron but low ferritin from a blood test? What can be done to increase ferritin levels without increasing iron to dangerous levels? I have found it hard to find good literature on this issue. I have read that Vitamin C supplements with meals will help.

[@devourerofvillages4434]

You could be copper or Vitamin B12 deficient. Both are needed for proper Ferritin levels.

[@sharonulagam7824]

Nice video

[@dono624]

Unless you have a health problem where despite your iron levels being up (from plant based iron) but still have issues because your hemoglobin is down, then the "Heme Iron" is going to be of benefit. The world we live in is so unbalanced and scientific research is often published by those who are financially motivated to release the type of data being featured. There comes a point when we all have to start reading between the lines and quit just accepting everything we read that is "SUPPOSED" to be supported by scientific data using complex wording couple with vague things like "it is believed by some experts" or "the data SEEMS to suggest" and then they say whatever they want. Ultimately it is up to the individual to become their own advocate and educate themselves so that they don't become a dupe to the latest scheme, even by mainstream media and health organizations who are themselves victims of those with the most to invest. Something to watch out for is a source that rattles off so many statistics that they overwhelm individuals who are trying to do research in a complex way that makes the consumer say; "I think that makes sense, they are the experts so I will just do what they say?" If we don't really understand it, should we just trust implicitly those who are making truck loads of money off our consumerism? How many of us trust Car Salesmen? There's lots of information that points to heme Iron as being more readily absorbed as opposed to ferrous or elemental iron. Not that that elemental iron is bad, but to say Heme iron will give you heart disease like margarine or others severely bad fats will should give us pause and have us question what the motive of the source really is. But again moderation, not having more than we need is important, everything that's good for us has therapeutic levels (or levels that we benefit from) so figuring out what those are for our personal health issues is crucial. Balance in all things and realizing what works for us may not be good for someone else is also important to remember.

[@birage9885]

Take IP-6 and lower the levels of iron if you are a meat eater that has high iron levels. Safe and effective.

[@manmeetsingh5479]

Or just drink green/white tea with your meat? xD But i wouldn't do that, the risks associated here are not necessarily because of the heme iron, there are other components of meat ∝ cancer risk.

[@elite1980s]

One other problem with the 'Blood-based crisp bread' is that it contains rye as one of the ingredients, for someone who suffers from a brain disorder, you should avoid this product as rye, like wheat and barley, contain gluten. Gluten can affect the brain in people but more common in folks who do have a brain issue like Parkinson disease sufferers.

[@Samisdead87]

I'm a vegan but I'm getting a too much iron in my diet.. is that bad? about 52.0 mg

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

Um.. You're not even meant to go over 20mg.. So.. yes... That's too much...

[@disturbed4ever2]

No because the body has mechanisms to regulate iron absorption from non heme iron if you get little, the absorption rate increases, if you get too much, it decreases. If you eat heme iron your body cannot regulate it and if you get too much you will poison yourself

[@disturbed4ever2]

@@IgnoreMeImWrong no that is completely false and you need to do more research

[@TheRealShaiLamar]

Nice one

[@saszablaze1]

Chocolate will inhibit uptake of iron. Tannins & oxalate. I hear though excess heme iron cannot be detoxed easily by average person, creating iron toxicity. Whereas plantfood iron not so...

[@petertwiss356]

correlation does not imply causation

[@Morfeusm]

But what about iron from the pan? Seriously

[@shar3882]

The study you refer to is about 'associations' only and does not prove causation. Hem-iron is abundant in shell fish where this 'association' with diet shows a positive correlation against arteriosclerosis and cancers. Therefore your study proves nothing about hem-iron being beneficial or not being beneficial whatsoever! Using these study results as evidence that every additional % of hem-iron increases the risk of arteriosclerosis and certain cancers is irresponsible and dishonest. As a case in point I could make the claim that when non-fireman householders put out fires there's little fire damage at the scene but for every additional fireman that attends a fire scene there is a direct percentage increase in fire damage and so therefore it's better for non-professionals to put out fires than to call firemen! It would be ridiculous to interpret the results in this way but the evidence appears to support it when we don't take into account that when firemen are called to the scene it's usually because the fire has taken hold and is more serious! As a percentage people who are vegetarian and vegan are far more likely to eat a healthier balanced diet and so when comparing them to the general population as a whole who are omnivore meat eaters we get an erroneous correlation to hem-iron being responsible for arteriosclerosis and certain cancers when in fact more serious health problems are likely to have taken hold from many different causes in such a population and not because of their consumption of hem-iron!🙏

[@dariuszmarcinkowski7191]

This whole channel is just a bunch of scammers pushing lying propaganda

[@mybestfrtwilight]

Thank you thank you thank you!!

[@homeofthegooddeal]

Look up Albion iron.

[@fundip43]

How well did they control for other elements of red meat. A Heme iron Multi vitamin supplementation would prob be the best way to control for this supposed to any "adjusted" values.

[@azimunisabegam7635]

Ki

[@vasanthaa3933]

@@azimunisabegam7635 z

[@thehanke]

Man, you sound like George W Bush. :) Great video. Cheers.

[@AntwanReynolds2k3]

Sure correlate the meat consumption without factoring in the quality of meat they are eating and how much processed foods and sugar along with it. I call BS on this video.

[@BethShearon]

Thank you! 🥦

[@natashab3412]

Eh. Idk.

[@sahraosman7311]

Wan kugu xirnahye

[@NutritionFactsOrg]

Did you catch this week’s most popular video on heme vs. non-heme iron? Watch below or click the link to watch on NutritionFacts.org: nutritionfacts.org/video/the-safety-of-heme-vs-non-heme-iron/

[@girlsdrinkfeck]

i started intaking "Huel " its a british brand of meal replacement shake ,mainly natural ingrediants that consists of brown rice ,oats and pea protein and flax, and the RDA for iron is nearly 500% ! but huel says its fine because its non heme iron

[@sahraosman7311]

Waxn kuweydin raby biyaha roes wotarka wajiga kalgood laguna dagan karo

[@betsycosmos7786]

First of all, just another reason to avoid all animal products, people! Secondly, gag me -- bread, cookies and other products with animal blood in them? Yuck!

[@gmnotyet]

So let's take the iron that we can't absorb. Vegan logic.

[@mrsir7023]

Err we can absorb non-heme iron

[@gmnotyet]

@@mrsir7023 Compare absorption.

[@mushshrap6471]

@@gmnotyet He's right. 15%-35% for heme iron and 2%-20% for the non-heme iron.

[@InvisiMan2006]

Another strike against the "benefits" of eating meat.

[@IgnoreMeImWrong]

Not really. This is just a more expensive version.

[@barlankivijaya3879]

Sirimalle Puvva kuragayalu manta

[@sahraosman7311]

Abayo hacked jogta

[@sharit7970]

Very infirmative video, and yuck! Blood cookies- - ewwwwwww!!!

[@mrsamandabernier]

😳

[@gharkirasoibymeena838]

wowwwwwwwwww.

[@m-618]

What a load of BS🤣🤣