That may be the case - I don't know. This is quite an informative document:
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/zinc.html
Quote from above site: 'Excess zinc is toxic. Too much zinc will interfere with the metabolism of other minerals in the body, particularly iron and copper. Symptoms of zinc toxicity occur after ingestion of 2g of or more and include nausea, vomiting and fever.'
Impossible is nothing!
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I'm guessing you might be vegetarian, which would exclude the obvious sources of meats and black pudding.
Shellfish are good for zinc, as is wheatgerm (I add wheatgerm every day when I make bread).
Iron is found in lots of veg.
My coal-mining grandad used to add iron to his diet by plunging a red hot poker from the fire into a pint of Guinness, makes a nice noise too.
I am no expert, but I have long researched this for my own benefit. A huge proportion of the younger female population is said to be low in iron due to menstruation. This applies to both vegetarians and meat-eaters. Assuming you are vegetarian, your possible sources of iron include dried fruit, molasses, apricots, raisins, leafy green vegetables, eggs, cherries, whole grains, legumes, tomato paste and dulse. Vitamin C aids absorption, as may protein. Phytic acid found in whole grains is said to hinder absorption, though this may be only in people who are not accustomed to eating it, also oxalic acid found in spinach. This is confusing, as both are quoted as sources of iron. Also tannins, found in coffee, red wine, chocolate, apple juice, beans, nuts, many fruits and cigarette smoke are said to inhibit absorption. Surprising, really, that anyone is not defficient in iron! It is usually advised not to drink tea or coffee with meals, as they interfere with the absorption of both calcium and iron.
As a general rule, I think it is a good idea to include some carbs, fat and protein in every meal, as nutrients seem to work synergistically, eg fat soluble vitamins eg A, E and D need dietary fat to be absorbed. The diet you mention sounds low in protein to me, but I daresay you eat lots of foods you haven't listed. I think you should get your doctor's advice before taking iron tablets. S/he will know best which are likely to be best absorbed and least likely to upset you. Also, low stomach acid can mean one is not getting enough iron, you might want to ask your GP if s/he can rule that out. You might like to listen to the latest Radio 4 "Casenotes" on the subject of iron. If iron tablets don't work, injections are possible. Zinc supplementation can interfere with iron absorption.
In general, it seems to me all these elements are so finely balanced in us, taking high doses of any vitamins or minerals risks causing more problems than it solves. Someone even managed to kill himself by drinking too much carrot juice!
Good luck!
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[QUOTE=Stef F;328409]Caution here - zinc being a metal can build up in your body. Too much is harmful. The daily guidance dose is, I believe, a maximum dose not a measure of requirement (same scenario as salt in that respect).
I take it sometimes as it is good for, amongst other things, the skin (any spotty people out there?!), hormonal inbalances, immune system and also psyche. I'm prone to the occasional bout of the grumps! I take it with vit C.
QUOTE]
best not to try and run past a magnet factory then!
I'd imagine that iron is best absorbed at anytime and most easily and naturally in the form of a Mackeson or a Guinness. This is not so trite as it sounds. My mum had a perforated ulcer when she was 40 and couldn't eat for a year. It was only soup and stout, in her case Mackeson, sucked through a tube, that kept her going. Now she's 90.
Even the great Joss Naylor once recommended Guinness.