Vegetarians

There is no shortage of iron in vegetables.
Pulses (e.g. peas, beans and lentils) and soya bean products (e.g. soya milk and tofu) provide an excellent source of iron. As do dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. broccoli and pak choy), wholegrains (e.g. wholemeal bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta), dried fruits (raisins, prunes, apricots and figs) black treacle and plain dark chocolate. Yum!

It's worth noting though that only up to 20%¹ of the iron in plant-based foods can be absorbed by our stomachs and many foods that are rich in iron are also rich in substances that inhibit the absorption of iron, examples being phytates, polyphenols, tannins, calcium or oxalic acid.

In fact the latest figures from the Department of Health show that as many as 91% of women aged 16 - 64 do not get their RDA of iron from their diets. One third of all women and two in five under the age of 34 have iron intakes so low that it affects their health².

If you are eating plenty of iron-rich veggies but nevertheless experience symptoms of iron deficiency, e.g. feeling tired all of the time you may want to consider supplementing your diet with iron.

Spatone is a 100% natural liquid iron supplement that can help you maintaining healthy iron levels whilst being extra gentle on the stomach.

Spatone and Spatone Apple are both suitable for Vegetarians, approved by the UK Vegetarian Society.

How to use:

Adults and children over the age of 2:
 - take one sachet a day

Pregnant women:
 - take two sachets a day

Spatone is ideally taken diluted in orange juice in the morning on an empty stomach or in between meals.

It is advisable to leave a 30 - 45min gap between the consumption of iron supplements such as Spatone and the consumption of drinks such as tea or coffee or food.

1 Webster-Gandy J, Madden A, Holdsworth M Ed's (2006) Oxford Handbook of Nutrition and Dietetics. Oxford University Press, Oxford

2 The National Diet & Nutrition Survey: adults aged 16 to 64 years (2003). Carried out in Great Britain on behalf of the Food Standards Agency and the Departments of Health by the Social Survey Division