Iron Rich FoodsWe need iron rich foods in our diets. Iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, the part of blood that carries oxygen to every cell. Iron is a trace mineral that gives us strong energy and immunity. Symptoms of Deficiency Iron deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency in the US and Britain. The symptoms are: weakness, fatigue, forgetfulness, dizziness, shortness of breath, headache, pale skin, rapid heart beat, and lack of will and motivation, and anemia. Women can get deficient because of our monthly period and we especially need to build the blood. The Chinese use Don Quai and other tonic herbs to build the blood. In India, they use Turmeric, rich in iron. We can choose tonic herbs and strengthening foods to build our blood. Two types of iron rich food There are two types of iron: heme, which comes from animal foods, and non-heme which comes from plant foods. The heme iron easier to absorb. The non-heme iron is harder to absorb. But if we take a vitamin C rich food with the non heme iron, the plant foods, the absorption is increased up to 6 times! Vitamin C rich foods include tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, sauerkraut, citrus fruits and more. Iron Absorption Certain substances block iron absorption. These are caffeine, coffee, tea, phytates in grains and beans, alcohol, aspirin, carbonated drinks, lack of protein, red wine, and too much dairy. Soak your grains and beans! This step removes the phytates that can bind with minerals so you don't absorb them. Cover the grain or beans with warm water, add 1 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar, and let sit on your kitchen counter for a few hours or overnight. Then drain the water and cook as usual. This releases the phytates and was a practice that most traditional cultures used for all grain products, even flour. Oxalic acid may block iron, too. It is high in spinach, beet greens and chard. But I found one study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2008 and concluded that oxalic acid does not influence non-heme iron absorption for humans. But most other resources claim it does. So, just eat spinach with vitamin C foods, and use a variety of food for your iron intake. Make sure your digestion is strong. You may need to take enzymes and hcl, which help in iron absorption. also, dairy foods are low in iron, so use them sparingly. One iron rich foods source that is really high in minerals is sea vegetables. I recommend trying nori sheets, kombu in soups and beans, and wakame in salads and stir fry. Also you can eat dulse right out of the bag or add to salads. The RDA for iron for adult women is 18 mg per day, for adult men and post menopausal women its 8 mg per day. Iron rich foods: animal foodsClams, steamed, 2.5 ounces: 21. mg iron Chicken liver, 2.5 ounces: 8.7 mg Oysters, raw, 2.5 ounces: 6.4 mg Mussels, 2.5 ounces 5.0 mg Beef liver, 2.5 ounces: 4.9 mg Turkey or lamb, 2.5 ounces: 1.5 mg Tuna, herring, trout andmackerel, 2.5 ounces: 1.0 mg Chicken, 2.5 ounces: 0.9 mg Salmon, 2.5 ounces: 0.6 mg
Iron rich beansLima beans, cooked, 1 cup : 4.4 mg Chickpeas, cooked, 1 cup : 3.2 mg Tofu 4 oz : 6.0 mg Tempeh 1 cup : 4.8 mg Black beans, cooked 1 cup : 3.6 mg Lentils, cooked 1 cup : 6.6 mg Black eyed peas, cooked 1 cup : 4.2 mg Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup : 3.0 mg Peas, cooked 1 cup : 2.5 mg
Iron rich foods: nuts and seedsCashews, 1/4 cup : 2.1 mg Almonds, 1/4 cup : 1.5 mg Sunflower seeds, 2 Tbsp : 1.2 mg Sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp : 1.2 mg Tahini, 2 Tbsp : 2.7 mg Flax seeds, 1/2 cup : 2.4 mg Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp : 0.6 mg Pumpkin seeds, 2 Tbsp : 2.5 mg Chia seeds are high in iron and protein. I was unable to find the exact numbers, though. Chia is a new superfood. Iron rich foods: greensSpinach, cooked, 1 cup : 6.4 mg Swiss chard, cooked, 1 cup : 4.0 mg Turnip greens, cooked, 1 cup : 3.2 mg Beet greens, cooked, 1 cup : 2.7 mg Kale, cooked, 1 cup : 1.2 mg Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup : 1.1 mg Bok choy, cooked, 1 cup : 1.9 mg Brussel sprouts, cooked, 1 cup : 1.9 mg
Iron rich fruits and vegiesBaked potato with skin, l large : 3.2 mg Prune juice, 8 ounces : 3.0 mg Raisins, 1/2 cup : 1.6 mg Seaweeds, cooked, 1/2 cup : 18.1-42.0 !!! Dried apricots, 15 halves : 1.4 mg Tomato juice, 8 ounces : 1.0 mg Dried figs, 5 figs : 2.0 mg Cherries, 1/2 cup : 1.8 mg Sauerkraut, 1/2 cup : 1.1 mg Mushrooms, cooked, 1 cup : 2.7 mg
Iron rich foods: GrainsWhole wheat bread, 1 slice : 0.9 mg Quinoa, cooked, 1 cup : 6.3 mg Oatmeal, cooked, 1 cup : 4.0 mg Buckwheat, cooked, 1 cup : 1.3 mg Teff, cooked, 1 cup : 5.1 mg Amaranth, cooked, 1 cup : 5.1 mg Millet, cooked, 1 cup : 1.1 mg Brown rice, long grain, 1 cup cooked : .8 mg Wild rice, cooked, 1 cup : .9 mg
Other Iron Rich FoodsSpirulina, 6 tablets : 9 mg Chlorella, 3.5 ounces : 133 mg Spirulina, 3.5 ounces : 58 mg Wheat germ, 2 Tbsp : 1.2 mg Soy milk, 1 cup : 2.9 mg Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp : 3.5 mg Burdock herb, 1 ounce : 4.9 mg Catnip herb, 1 ounce : 4.6 mg Chickweed herb, 1 ounce : 8.4 mg Turmeric, parsley greens and root, dandelion greens and root are all high in iron as well. Yellow dock root is a specific for anemia, according to herbalists, and is high in iron. Other blood builders include royal jelly, bee pollen and don quai, which have a wide array of nutrients. This gives you an idea of what you need to plan for iron rich foods. It's worth it, to have a strong body that supports your creativity and joy in life!
You may like to check out these recipes and info on the iron rich foods: Hummus recipes are good for iron, with chickpeas, lemon and tahini about aduki beans, great for bean dip Amaranth, a gluten free grain high in iron Spinach recipes, cooked and raw Teff, a tiny gluten free grain from Africa Tempeh is hearty and can fill in for meat in a dish |
