Trying Beef Liver As A Natural Iron Supplement For Anemia

By thedancingcrohnie

2 min read

I have always struggled with iron deficiency anemia since being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2011. Since my diagnosis, I have been prescribed a million different types of iron supplements. They only made me feel even more sick and actually gave me bad stomach pains, instead of improving my gut health or energy levels.

Iron deficiency from Crohn's or colitis

Due to the fact that I was failing oral iron treatment, my GI quickly prescribed IV iron treatments to help. Well, to be honest, there were only a couple of times where I felt the treatment actually work. Mostly it was nothing but a waste of time to get the infusion done. Of course, please keep in mind that this is my personal experience, as I know a lot of others with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis that swear by their IV iron infusions.

Long story short, I have always been struggling with anemia and it has become such a nuisance. The fatigue is intense, the feeling that you are always out of breath gets old fast, the heart palpitations are always nerve-wracking, the loss of hair is frustrating. I can go on and on.

Anemia can cause quite a bit of havoc on the body, and if left untreated, it can be a serious problem that leaves serious damage. Being that I have always struggled with this, I recently became extremely fed up.

Trying beef liver as a natural iron supplement for anemia

The good thing about being fed up is that you will be driven to make a change that gets kicked into high gear. And so I started to do even more research than before about my options for iron supplementation to help with anemia. Well, call me silly or misinformed, but I came across beef liver supplements for the first time. I had no idea this even existed. Neither my GI nor naturopathic doctor had ever mentioned it to me as an option.

I decided to try it. Beef liver is an excellent source of iron, and it comes from an organic source so it is easy to digest. Not only that, beef liver is packed with minerals, vitamins, and amazing other benefits that can help with gut health. As I researched more, I was pleasantly surprised with all of the benefits. I immediately placed an order to give it a try.

What I noticed after one month of taking the supplement

It has been just under a month of taking this supplement daily and I am blown away. Not only have I noticed that my energy levels have improved drastically, but it seems my pale skin has more color and the bags under my eyes are disappearing. I am even more happy with what it has done to my gut health! My bowel movements are healthier and more consistent. I can’t believe I didn’t try this sooner.

I will be going for blood work soon and I am so excited to see where my levels will be. I have a gut feeling that I have finally found something to rid me of this awful anemia.

Overall, if you are struggling with anemia and want a natural option to help you, ask your doctor about beef liver supplements. I buy a high-quality, grass-fed beef liver supplement and truly wish I would have taken them sooner.

Treatment results and side effects can vary from person to person. This treatment information is not meant to replace professional medical advice. Talk to your doctor about what to expect before starting and while taking any treatment.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The InflammatoryBowelDisease.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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christine.laaksonenCommunity Admin
Hi <inline-mention username="BARBV" user-id="7012292"/>, thank you so much for sharing this. Yes, there could definitely be reasons not to take beef liver supplements so it's always best to check with one's doctor before starting anything new, even supplements. That being said, I'm so glad that you've found an alternative that works for you, and I appreciate you sharing it with the community here. (Also, a great option for vegetarians too!) Thank goodness there are food fortified with vitamins and minerals like cream of rice cereal! Thanks again for sharing. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
BARBVMember
<inline-mention username="MagsK" user-id="10005755"/> Try giving your daughter cream of rice cereal every morning. It contains 12.6 mg of iron in every serving, much better than eating liver, and it has no fats, cholesterol or sodium.
BARBVMember
As a person who has had anemia and Crohn's since 1981 with seven subsequent surgeries and now with an ileostomy for five years, I would like to say there are better foods for iron than liver. It should be remembered that liver is very high in cholesterol with approximately 312 mg in a 4 ounce serving. The amount of iron in one serving is 5.56 mg. However, there is one food that provides 12.6 mg of iron per serving with no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium, and that is cream of rice! This simple hot cereal provides 70% of your daily iron requirement without providing any detrimental elements to your diet. I add a little salt and butter for taste or brown sugar at times as well as a little honey. Since adding daily cream of rice to my diet, my H&H have increased, and I feel so much better. Hope this helps, community! Besides a steady diet of liver - ugh! LOL!
christine.laaksonenCommunity Admin
<inline-mention username="gypsycowgirl71" user-id="2268163"/> do you also experience iron deficiency anemia? In addition to the information in this article, I thought you might also be interested in this article (by the same author) about iron friendly foods, <a href='https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/iron-deficiency-foods' target='_blank'>https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/iron-deficiency-foods</a>. I'm curious if your doctor ever also talked with you about iron supplements, or just cooking on cast iron? Wishing you a gentle evening. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
gypsycowgirl71Member
Great information, thank you. Never heard of this as an option either. My doctors just suggested cooking on cast iron. I thank you. Good luck to all. Be well.