Iron is an essential mineral that aids in a variety of functions in the body. It’s main role is to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide within the red blood cell from one body tissue to another. It’s also needed for energy production and to help our immune system. There are many foods that contain iron, however some are more easily absorbed than others. Typically heme (animal) sources of iron such as beef, chicken, pork, etc are more readily absorbed than the non-home (plant) sources such as green leafy vegetables and beans.
To help increase your absorption of iron, we recommend including vitamin C foods along with your iron sources, as the vitamin C helps increase absorption, especially of those non heme iron sources. An example of this is pairing up a citris fruit along with your whole grain cereal. You will absorb more iron in your cereal when paired with the fruit compared to just eating the cereal alone. Another concept to be mindful of, is to be aware of the iron blockers, ie- foods that inhibit absorption or iron. Foods that inhibit absoprtion include coffee and tea (regular and decaf), whole grains, bran, legumes, spinach, and high fiber foods. To increase your absorption of iron, these foods are best eaten with heme iron sources and/or vitamin C sources. Examples of this would be pairing a chicken breast with brown rice or strawberries with oatmeal.
How much iron do I need in a day?
Males >18 yrs: 8 mg/day
Females 19-50 yrs: 18 mg/day
Females >51 yrs: 8 mg/day
Pregnancy: 27 mg/day
Lactating: 8-9 mg/day
-Kelsey
