Iron is important in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. A lack of iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia. The purpose of an iron-rich diet is to promote adequate intake, especially for individuals with increased iron requirements...
- 8.7 mg a day for men over 18.
- 14.8 mg a day for women aged 19 to 50.
- 8.7 mg a day for women over 50.
It is used to prevent and/or treat low iron stores and iron deficiency anemia for individuals who are at risk for suboptimal iron intake, such as young children and older adults AND for individuals with increased iron requirements, such as pregnant women, premenopausal women, endurance athletes or those consuming a vegetarian or vegan diet. Iron-rich diets include foods high in iron as well as foods that enhance iron absorption. There are 2 types of iron in the diet (see Table 1)..
| Table (1). Types of Iron in The Diet | |
|---|---|
| HEME IRON | NON-HEME IRON |
| Found in meats, fish and poultry | Found in vegetables |
| It is highly bioavailable (15–35%) | It is less bioavailable (2–20%) |
| Sources include liver (pork, beef and chicken), venison, beef, clams, oysters, mussels and shrimp. | Sources include cooked beans, lentils, chickpeas and soybeans, pumpkin seeds, tofu, tempeh, blackstrap molasses, enriched breakfast cereals and enriched pasta. |
Iron absorption can be increased by consuming iron-absorbing enhancers together with iron-rich foods and by not eating the iron-rich foods together with foods that inhibit absorption (see Table 2). Cooking with iron skillets, steel woks and stainless steel cookware (to a lesser extent) may add extra iron to the food. GET OUR NOTE, "Overview of anemia" for more details.
| Table (2). Foods that Affect Iron Absorption | |
|---|---|
| IRON ABSORPTION ENHANCERS | IRON ABSORPTION INHIBITORS |
| Meats, fish, poultry Vitamin C–containing fruits (oranges, orange juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapefruit) and vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, tomato juice, potatoes, red and green peppers) |
Calcium (milk, yogourt, cheese, sardines) Eggs Oxalates (spinach, chard, beet greens, rhubarb, sweet potatoes) Phytates (whole grains, bran) Tannins and polyphenols (red wine, coffee, tea) |
REFERENCES
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Moustarah, F. and Mohiuddin, S.S. (2020). Dietary Iron. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540969
Akalu Y, Yeshaw Y, Tesema GA, Demissie GD, Molla MD, Muche A, Diress M, Tiruneh SA. Iron-rich food consumption and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys. PLoS One. 2021 Jun 17;16(6):e0253221. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0253221
NHS Choices (2019). Iron - Vitamins and minerals. [online] NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron