Iron Rich Foods | Everything About Iron

Iron plays an important physiologic role because it is involved in oxygen transport and energy formation. Iron cannot be synthesized by the body and must be acquired. We’ll go over various iron-rich foods in detail and the amount of iron in each food.

Iron deficiency (ID) is the world’s most common nutritional deficiency and the leading cause of anemia in both developed and developing countries.

Food is the only natural source of iron, and the mineral can also be taken as a supplement.

Although the human body can recycle and reuse this mineral, it loses some iron daily; these lost pools must be replenished.

For women, a daily iron intake of 15 milligrams is recommended. Men require less iron, with a daily iron intake of 10 mg is recommended.

Women require more iron because they lose iron during their menstrual cycle. As it was found that anemia and menstruation were strongly linked together.

According to the German Nutrition Society, pregnant women require 30 mg of iron per day to provide for their babies.

After the baby is born, they require approximately 20 mg of iron per day to replenish the iron stores depleted during pregnancy and childbirth.

Iron deficiency anemia and anxiety were linked together and researchers found that iron deficiency was also correlated to other psychiatric disorders.

Iron deficiency symptoms

The most considerable symptom is fatigue, which can occur with even minor reductions in iron stores. Cold intolerance and hair loss have also been linked to iron deficiency.

Weakness, difficulty concentrating, and reduced work productivity are nonspecific symptoms caused by low oxygen delivery to body tissues and decreased activity of iron-containing enzymes.

Effects of iron deficiency on the human body

Types of Dietary Iron

There are two primary forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme.

Non-heme iron is found in plant-derived foods, whereas heme iron is only found in animal-derived foods, primarily meat, fish, poultry, and eggs.

Heme iron has higher bioavailability and is easier to absorb without the need for absorption-enhancing cofactors.

Non-heme iron is the most important dietary source in vegetarians, it has a lower bioavailability and its absorption is determined by the balance of dietary enhancers and inhibitors, as well as body iron stores.

About 25% of dietary heme iron is absorbed, while only 17% of dietary nonheme iron is absorbed.

Iron rich foods

Meat is an excellent source of iron because it contains the red pigment hemoglobin.

As mentioned before, Iron is more difficult to absorb and use in plant-based foods. So that vegetarians may find it difficult to obtain the recommended double amount of iron during pregnancy.

People who eat a lot of plant-based foods or only plant-based foods can increase their iron uptake by combining specific plant-based foods. For example, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) boosts iron absorption.

Oranges, orange juice, broccoli, and red peppers are all high in vitamin C.

Meat, fish, and poultry also boost iron absorption from plant-based foods.

The tables below gives you an idea of how much iron is in various foods.

Foods in the tables are primarily those that contain a high concentration of iron.

1. Iron rich foods – Meat

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Pork liver, cooked	125 g	24.4
Veal liver, cooked	125 g	11.3
Beef liver, cooked	125 g	9.7
Venison, cooked	150 g	5.1
Beef, cooked	150 g	4.9
Pork, cooked	150 g	3.9
Mutton, cooked	150 g	3.3
Veal, cooked	150 g	3.1
Traditional blood sausage/black pudding	30 g	2.3
Liver pâté, fine	30 g	2.2
Cooked ham (pork)	30 g	0.7
Salami	30 g	0.5

2. Iron rich foods – Fish

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Mussels, cooked	100 g	3.8
Shrimps	100 g	1.8
Tuna, cooked	130 g	1.3
Herring fillet, Matjes style	90 g	1.1
Smoked eel	75 g	0.5
Salmon	150 g	0.4

3. Iron rich foods – Bread, muesli

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Spelt bread	1 and 50 g.	2.1
Soy bread	1 slice (45 g).	2
Whole grain buckwheat bread	1 slice (60 g).	1.7
Whole grain oat bread	1 slice (50 g)	1.4
Whole grain bread with sesame seeds	1 slice (50 g)	1.3
Whole grain bread	1 slice (50 g)	1
Rye bread	1 slice (45 g)	0.6
Oats	60 g	2.7
Muesli	50 g	1.7
Cereal flakes	2 to 3 tbsp. (20 g)	0.8

4. Iron rich foods – Lettuce, Vegetables, Herbs

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Chanterelle mushrooms, steamed	200 g	11.6
Black salsify, steamed	250 g	5.5
Spinach, steamed	150 g	4.6
Swiss chard, steamed	150 g	3.6
Canned chickpeas	150 g	3.3
White beans (dry), cooked	150 g	3.3
Green peas, steamed	250 g	2.5
Lamb’s lettuce	100 g	2
Green cabbage, as traditionally prepared at home	200 g	1.9
Brussel sprouts, steamed	250 g	1.7
Leeks, steamed	250 g	1.3
Asparagus, steamed	200 g	1.3
Beetroot, cooked	150 g	1.2
Thyme, fresh	5 g	1
Parsley	15 g	0.5
Garden cress	15 g	0.4

5. Iron rich foods – Nuts, fruit

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Pistachios	60 g	4.4
Cashews	60 g	3.8
Sesame seeds	20 g	2
Strawberries	250 g	1.6
Blackcurrants	125 g	1.6
Raspberries	125 g	1.3
Dried apricots	25 g	1.1
Kiwis	125 g	1
Dried figs	25 g	0.8
Yeast flakes	5 g	0.8
Rhubarb, cooked	150 g	0.6
Nectarines	125 g	0.6

6. Iron rich foods – Side dishes

Food product	Typical portion size	Iron in mg/portion
Tofu	100 g	2.8
Whole grain rice, boiled	180 g	2.2
Millet, cooked	80 g	2.1
Whole grain pasta with soy   protein, cooked	125 g	2
Parboiled rice, boiled	180 g	1.9
Whole grain pasta, boiled	125 g	1.6
Pasta (with eggs), boiled	125 g	1
Chicken egg	60 g	1
Pasta (without eggs), boiled	200 g	0.9
White rice (milled), boiled	180 g	0.5

Conclusion

Iron plays an important physiologic role because it is involved in oxygen transport and energy formation. Iron cannot be synthesized by the body and must be acquired.

Food is the only natural source of iron, and the mineral can also be taken as a supplement.

Although the human body can recycle and reuse this mineral, it loses some iron daily; these lost pools must be replenished.

The most considerable symptom is fatigue among other symptoms such as weakness, difficulty concentrating, and reduced work productivity, so if you think you might suffer from iron deficiency seek immediate medical attention.

Eating an adequate amount of foods rich in iron prevents iron deficiency and maintains good health.

Read Also: What Is the Treatment for High Vitamin B12

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References

1. S. National Library of Medicine. (2018, March 22). How can i get enough iron? InformedHealth.org [Internet]. PubMed.
2. Moustarah, F. (2021, April 28). Dietary iron. StatPearls [Internet]. PubMed.
3. TG;, D. L. (2017, March). Iron deficiency anemia. The Medical clinics of North America. PubMed.
4. Soppi, E. T. (2018, April 17). Iron deficiency without anemia – a clinical challenge. Clinical case reports. PubMed.
5. Al-Naseem, A., Sallam, A., Choudhury, S., & Thachil, J. (2021, March). Iron deficiency without anaemia: A diagnosis that matters. Clinical medicine (London, England). PubMed.