clam and oyster have parasites?

[Joy2012]

My doctor prescribes an iron supplement for me because I am excessively deficient in iron and he said I need to bring up my iron level quick. I tried 2 iron supplements and I could not stand the stomach cramps side effect.  So I am trying to take in iron through food.   My research told me that clam and oyster are exceptionally rich in iron. Now I have always had the notion that raw shelled seafood (clam oyster mussel) are particularly prone to parasite problems. I would lik to know the view of people here.

BTW, I know liver also carries a lot of iron. But I am afraid of Vitamin A overload. (My doctors wants me to take in 500% of RDA iron for several months). I also know chicken heart has a good amount of iron. But I have to eat well over one pound of chicken heart to come close to the iron contained in the iron supplement my doctor prescribes. I cannot do that everyday.

[eveheart]

I grew up eating raw oysters and clams. Nowadays, I eat raw oysters several times a week, and I also enjoy liver. While that does not prove their safety, I advise you to find a good, clean source of one or more of your iron-rich options and eat it/them in reasonable amounts.

Here is a guide I use to locate nearby oysters: http://www.oysterguide.com/oyster-finder/. I am not sure about your area, so if it's not listed, just find oysters from clean, cold waters.

Iron supplements are well-known as stomach and bowel irritants. That makes sense because nowhere in nature is iron ingested by itself - it is always part of some food.

[TylerDurden]

The parasite-issue is nonexistent re oysters. I've eaten raw oysters and raw mussels in very large quantities, and raw clams in much smaller amounts,  for over a decade, and never once had an issue.

[ys]

Spleen has even higher amount of iron and very little of vit A.

[Iguana]

The parasite-issue is nonexistent re oysters. I've eaten raw oysters and raw mussels in very large quantities, and raw clams in much smaller amounts,  for over a decade, and never once had an issue.

Yes, me too and for over a quarter century. More of various kind of clams and scallops but less mussels than you, though - I think.

[Dorothy]

Joy - Port A Cafe has wonderful oysters. The rest of the food is Cajun deep fried and deadly - but their oysters - yum! I only feel terrific from them.

On the other hand I've tried oysters from Central Market and Whole Foods - YUCK!

[cherimoya_kid]

I've never heard of any clam, oyster, or mussel parasites.  Crabs occasionally have parasites than can pass to humans, but it's pretty rare.

[Joy2012]

Many thanks to all who responded. Now I will try these shelled seafood... I hope I will find them palatable,


Dorothy, I seldom spend money at restaurants, now that I know how to be picky about the quality of foods--thanks to all you who are on this forum. Besides, I am already spending big bucks buying seafood from WF and I want to be a little bit frugal in other areas.  [According to my research, shrimps at HEB and Fiesta all carry preservatives. The shrimps at WF seafood counters do not have preservatives. So now I only shop most seafood at WF.]  Thanks for the Port A Cafe tip though. I will keep this in mind. If some day someone will take me there then I will know what to order. 


BTW, do you guys  think one might absorb more iron from raw foods than from cooked foods?  It seems mission impossible to me to eat that much raw animal organ/clam  in order to take in iron in an amount that is  anything close to the 45 to 90 mg of iron (daily) my doctor prescribed. [I might eat one pound of cooked pork liver without distaste, but I could only finish a couple of bits of raw liver at one seating.]

[TylerDurden]

Iron-rich foods:-

Eggs - especially the yolk
Oily fish e.g. tuna, sardines, pilchards, cockles and mussels
Kidney, liver, heart **
Lamb, game, beef **

Nutrients in raw foods will be far better absorbed than the same nutrients within processed supplements. Still, if it's an emergency, take some iron supplements for a couple of months, and then discontinue them once you have plenty of iron-rich foods available.

[goodsamaritan]

BTW, do you guys  think one might absorb more iron from raw foods than from cooked foods?  It seems mission impossible to me to eat that much raw animal organ/clam  in order to take in iron in an amount that is  anything close to the 45 to 90 mg of iron (daily) my doctor prescribed. [I might eat one pound of cooked pork liver without distaste, but I could only finish a couple of bits of raw liver at one seating.]

In my country we pound raw kamote leaves tops for iron.  http://www.myhealthblog.org/2010/12/02/alkalize-quickly-how-to-make-raw-kamote-tops-juice-sweet-potato-tops/

[svrn]

iv gotten to the point now of completely disregarding anything about bacteria and parasites. they are natural and i am not worried at all.

[CitrusHigh]

Freeing isn't it Troll?

[Dorothy]

If I were you Joy I'd get some ionic iron drops Joy. Iron is very hard for the body to absorb in any kind of pill form.

If you find a place that has good oysters in Austin that isn't WF, Central Market or HEB - I sure would like to know. Those places the oysters tasted truly terrible to me. Right now oysters have to be a very rare treat when we go to Port A. When it comes to raw animal foods I will only eat things that taste really good to me.

[eveheart]

If you find a place that has good oysters in Austin that isn't WF, Central Market or HEB - I sure would like to know.

I don't know Austin from a hole in the ground, but yelp came up with this one: http://www.qualityseafoodmarket.com/

[Joy2012]

Thanks to all for good suggestions. I will keep them in mind.

If I were you Joy I'd get some ionic iron drops Joy. Iron is very hard for the body to absorb in any kind of pill form.

Will  this liquid iron supplement cause the same kind of stomach pain and cramps as iron pills?  Right now I am less worried about how much iron can be absorbed from a particular form of iron supplement than that  iron supplement irritated my stomach and bowels.   If any iron supplement has a reputation of not disturbing stomach/bowels, I will take it--it is better than nothing.

I don't know Austin from a hole in the ground, but yelp came up with this one: http://www.qualityseafoodmarket.com/

The question with QUALITY SEAFOOD is its quality: Does it add preservatives to its seafood? Its website does not say it does not. I think that means it most likely adds preservatives.

[svrn]

Freeing isn't it Troll?

its a lot less to worry about. makes me more relaxed. dont have to wash hands all the time or do stupid stuff like that anymore. i feel like its a workout for my immune system anyway.

[Polyvore]

I still have to worry about germs because of the people I live with.

[Dorothy]

Quality Seafood has some nice frozen yellow tail/hamachi that you can't get anywhere else in Austin that I've found and some fresh tuna  - but I don't think it's the place for oysters - I didn't try them when I was there at least - I must have not felt comfortable about something. Very good for deep fried food though.   The website makes it look bigger and better than it is - but the part where they sell the raw fish is actually small. It's more of a restaurant than a quality fish monger if you ask me - but this is the first time I've lived this far from the ocean. It's also a long drive to get there for me.

There are some raw oyster shacks in town that I haven't tried.

Joy - I, nor anyone I know who has taken it, has ever felt digestive upset from ionic iron. I found something for you that might help you to understand iron better. Go to the second post - it's by Andrea - at the link below:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4110318/low-iron-questions/

 

[Joy2012]

Joy - I, nor anyone I know who has taken it, has ever felt digestive upset from ionic iron. I found something for you that might help you to understand iron better. Go to the second post - it's by Andrea - at the link below:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4110318/low-iron-questions/

You give me hope!  Now is this ionic iron an over-the-counter medicine or do I need a doctor's prescription to get it?

[Dorothy]

You can order it from the internet. I got all my ionic minerals from the following company:
http://www.essense-of-life.com/product_M-110/Iron+Concentrate.htm

..... but it comes in a plastic bottle. I bought it from this place because I needed other things from this company that I could get nowhere else, however there are other vendors of ionic iron. 

[goodsamaritan]

Hamachi are delicious.  Careful though if they come from Japanese waters, Fukushima and all that nuclear reactors leaking.

[TylerDurden]

GS, can you please stop with these  absurd anti-raw conspiracy theories? The Fukushima business is of a minor, harmless  nature and not to be worried about.

[Brad462]

Tyler, I don't think radiation from food is something one should be concerned about, but if I was living in Japan I would be pretty damn terrified right now.  Nuclear radiation is far from minor and harmless.

[Joy2012]

Dorothy, Thank you! I definitely must try ionic iron supplement.

GS, hamachi is called yellowtail fish here. I tried it a few times over the years but did not like it. But what does hamachi have to do with iron? It has 0 mg of iron.

[CitrusHigh]

How is that anti-raw? Or conspiracy theory?