Chlorophyll for Iron deficiency?

Question

My MIL is a bit of a whack job sometimes but I always like to verify things with her as about 1 in 50 of her whacko things turn out true.

Who's the nut, her or me for not believing her?

She's telling me to give my 1 year old son chlorophyll for iron deficiency rather than Fer-in-Sol (pharmacy iron supplement for babies). Her theory is: human red blood cells eject the heme and use the chlorophyll instead so your body doesn't need iron. WTF!?!

Anyhow, I only ask because I know many people believe chlorophyll does good things for the body. If you know ANYTHING about this subject I'd love to know it or if you want to tell me my MIL is crazy, you can do that too or if I'm the crazy one PLEASE, tell me why!

Answer 1

Iron deficiency is complicated, many reasons for it, giving iron can cause a rise in infections so one can use Schultz's tissue salts that helps in regulating iron, if too high helps lower it and if to low makes the body super absorbent to it.

I have iron overload and milk binds iron, so feeding foods with iron in meal with NO milk, iced tea served will help the iron be absorbed and help in that department as there are a LOT of foods with iron in them as I have to try to avoid them unless I drink tea or milk with the meal.

Several books on iron and anemia but here is a link that might be useful and why you might not want to rush in giving iron supplements. http://www.ironoverload.org/anemia.htm

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/web... book

Answer 2

Chlorophyll is only a light sensitive chelate. Heme is just a related sort of molecule and iron is in the structure of haemoglobin. Magnesium in chrorophyll.

Maybe she knows more chemistry than me, but I don't believe her theory.

Iron supplements do what they say they do,

Answer 3

Liquid chlorophyll is of no use whatever for the treatment of an iron deficiency.  Heaven knows where that strange theory came from.  A 1 year old should never be given any supplement without the advice of a doctor because supplements that are suitable for adults are often totally unsuitable for young kids and often it is very dangerous to give young kids supplements unless they have been prescribed by a doctor.

Whatever the doctor prescribes for the 1 year old is hopefully suitable.

Answer 4

"eject the heme and use the chlorophyll instead"? That's completely bananas. Chlorophyll and the heme group have completely different actions. Chlorophyll absorbs light for photosynthesis in plants whereas the heme of hemoglobin binds to oxygen to take it round the body. Chlorophyll can no more substitute for heme than heme substitute for chlorophyll.

She's a crackpot. Keep your child away from her.

Answer 5

I don't know what she's saying about the iron supplement. All I know is I used liquid chlorophyll for low iron when I was pregnant with my son. My iron was so low they wanted to do a blood transfusion. They gave me a chance to fix it myself, I took chlorophyll two tablespoons a day for five days and saw them again. They said my iron count was so much higher in such a small amount of time they were amazed. However I'm not sure about using it on a baby. I would, but it does stain. Go with your gut, your the mom and you know best good luck!