Re: iron/caraggeenan/oils

[Guest guest]

I cringe at the paces some of you folks have been put through. Iron

supplemnts? Surgery for IBD? Ugghh!!! Thank goodness there is a list like

this that we can learn from each others experiences.

On Tue, 19 Feb 2002 18:10:48 -0800 " The Pavels " <pavels@...>

writes:

Her iron was very low, and guess what, she had inflammatory bowel

disease.

We learned a lot very fast and one of the things we learned is that all

the

iron supplements we tried - including natural and liquid supplements from

the health food store - damaged her stomach and intestines. This was

before

and after two surgeries. After the second surgery we changed her diet to

the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which is naturally high in iron and

calculated to promote intestinal healing. I was on the point of

demanding

an iron injection. (I had been asking nicely for years before the

surgeries

but doctors said it was too painful. But they didn't think extensive

abdominal surgery was too painful.) I was actually in the examining room

throwing my weight around when the doc said " Let's check her iron level

one

more time " - and it was normal!!!!

At any rate, I don't recommend iron supplements.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet also says that caraggeenan and other gums

are

tough on intestines - okay for normal folks but not for the ones that

need

healing.

Good intestines absorb iron and everything else better. And they don't

contribute to iron loss. Could you be losing your iron somehow through

internal bleeding or inflammation somewhere in your body?

You might ask about the iron and other healing questions on the Healing

Crow

list. It's an offshoot of the SCD list with a broader audience and

perspective.

Also, the person with trouble digesting evening primrose oil might ask

there

too because I know others with IBD have had the same response. Something

to

do with - was it overworked liver, bile ducts? I can't remember.

www.healingcrow.org or maybe www.healingcrow.com.

For what it's worth and best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Thanks to those of you that replied to my Irish moss/carrageenan/low serum

ferritin post. The number of posts in this group is voluminous, and I've

been busy reading instead of responding earlier.

My serum ferritin was 12 in June and 13 in February, so obviously the

ferrous sulfate was ineffective or worse. I've read the normal range is 12

to 150; my doctor certainly thinks I should be much higher. I had ESR

tests, and they were slightly elevated. I don't know of any infection or

inflammation, although I take Sun Chlorella A tablets, and thus have very

dark bowels anyway. I've not had a functioning thyroid for 51 years, since I

was 3, and had the misfortunate to be on Synthroid for the last 4 1/2 years,

until I learned more about it on the web and sought out a more enlightened

physician last June. I'm now back on dessicated thyroid at about double the

equivalent dose of Synthroid. So the hypothyroidism could have caused the

initial low serum ferritin, but it's been corrected. My saliva test showed

I was very, very low in progesterone, and very low in the estrogens,

cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone. I'm taking a prescription topical cream

with Biest, progesterone, and testosterone, but my skin doesn't seem to be

absorbing it. I had a couple iron shots this summer. My hair analysis last

spring showed an off the chart high level of uranium, which I understand

acts like lead in the body. ( The only exposure I know of is living downwind

from Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant for 5 years). The Irish moss was to

help detoxify the uranium. I eat about 3 oz. of grass-fed bison,

store-bought chicken or fish each day, about 4 pastured eggs per week, 95%

home prepared foods (mostly the NT way), a bunch of supplements including

2000 mg Vit C, and get 6 miles a week on the treadmill plus 3 hours of yoga.

After reading comments about the dangers of iron supplements, I have

discontinued the ferrous sulfate. I'm now taking dessicated liver pills. I

don't like the taste of liver, and can't get organic liver locally anyway.

Is the dessicated as good as whole liver? How much does it take to do the

job?

This is way too long, but apparently I didn't give enough information on my

first post. Anybody have any further thoughts?

Lynn

----- Original Message -----

From: " The Pavels " <pavels@...>

< >

Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 7:10 PM

Subject: iron/caraggeenan/oils

> Dear Lynn,

> I am really not an expert on iron and caraggeenan or on your body, but

I'll

> try to be brief with my own experience regarding my daughter.

>

> Her iron was very low, and guess what, she had inflammatory bowel disease.

> We learned a lot very fast and one of the things we learned is that all

the

> iron supplements we tried - including natural and liquid supplements from

> the health food store - damaged her stomach and intestines. This was

before

> and after two surgeries. After the second surgery we changed her diet to

> the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which is naturally high in iron and

> calculated to promote intestinal healing. I was on the point of demanding

> an iron injection. (I had been asking nicely for years before the

surgeries

> but doctors said it was too painful. But they didn't think extensive

> abdominal surgery was too painful.) I was actually in the examining room

> throwing my weight around when the doc said " Let's check her iron level

one

> more time " - and it was normal!!!!

>

> At any rate, I don't recommend iron supplements.

>

> The Specific Carbohydrate Diet also says that caraggeenan and other gums

are

> tough on intestines - okay for normal folks but not for the ones that need

> healing.

>

> Good intestines absorb iron and everything else better. And they don't

> contribute to iron loss. Could you be losing your iron somehow through

> internal bleeding or inflammation somewhere in your body?

>

> You might ask about the iron and other healing questions on the Healing

Crow

> list. It's an offshoot of the SCD list with a broader audience and

> perspective.

>

> Also, the person with trouble digesting evening primrose oil might ask

there

> too because I know others with IBD have had the same response. Something

to

> do with - was it overworked liver, bile ducts? I can't remember.

> www.healingcrow.org or maybe www.healingcrow.com.

> For what it's worth and best wishes,

>

> > Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 22:27:08 -0700

> > From: " Lynn McGaha " <lmcgaha@...>

> > Subject: Irish moss vs. carrageenan

> >

> > A Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner recommended that I take

Irish

> > moss (chondrus crispus) as a detoxifying agent and a good nutritional

> > source. I was directed to add 1 oz. of the dried Irish moss to about a

> > quart of boiling water and simmer it until the moss had softened. I

> > consume that quantity in one week.

> >

> > In Ray Peat's article " Food-Junk and Some Mystery Ailments " , a

Newsletter

> > on Nutrition found at his web site www.efn.org/~raypeat/ , he states

that

> > carrageenan causes inflammatory bowel damage and should be avoided.

> > Carrageenan is an extract of Irish moss and is in the gums family. I

don't

> > know how refined it is compared to Irish moss.

> >

> > Does anyone know if the negative effects of carrageenan also pertain to

> > Irish moss taken as I described above? How closely does carrageenan

> > compare to Irish moss? I find that the Irish moss really helps with the

> > constipation I have from iron supplementation I take for very low serum

> > ferritin. After 7 months, the iron supplementation (27 g. ferrous

sulfate

> > daily) hasn't helped any. According to the DWIDP diet planner, I get

> > plenty of iron in my diet, from non-fortified and unprocessed food

sources.

> > Any ideas on how to boost my serum ferritin?

> >

> > Lynn

>

>