The iron deficiency It’s a much more common condition than you might think. Considering that this mineral is an element that should not be overlooked and that filling up on iron is not too difficult if you eat the right foods, let’s try to find out more!
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency globally – especially among children and pregnant women. This is quite a problem, considering the mineral plays a number of critical roles in our body such as – among the best known roles – the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
Symptoms of this condition, anemia, may include fatigue, chest pain or shortness of breath, cold hands and feet, dizziness and headache, poor appetite, and unusual cravings for substances such as ice, dirt, or starch.
How much iron is needed per day?
The amount of iron you need every day depends on the type of group you belong to:
Non-pregnant women aged 19 to 50 years 18 milligrams (mg) Pregnant women 27 mg Women aged 51 years and older 8 mg Men aged 19 years and older 8 mg Infants and children aged 7 to 15 mg, depending on age.
In any case, although iron deficiency is a harmful condition, it is also good not to commit the opposite risk: it is in fact recommended not to take more than 45 mg of iron per day if you are adolescents or adults and more than 40 mg per day if you you are 13 years old or younger.
Common foods can help you get enough iron
In this context, the good news is that Many common foods contain ironfrom oysters to pumpkin seeds, from enriched cereals to red meat.
Let’s try to look at them one by one.
Eggs, red meat, liver and offal
Many animal proteins contain iron: four ounces of 93% lean ground beef for example provide 2.6 mg. Other examples are eggs (1.7 mg in two large eggs), turkey and pork loin.
Meats such as liver and offal are also particularly rich in iron. For example, 113 grams of chicken offal contains 6.1 mg of iron. The liver, on the other hand, contains a truly high quantity of iron, with one ounce of this food, pork, containing 6.6 mg. Be careful, though: the liver is also rich in cholesterol (one pound of pork liver contains 85.3 mg of cholesterol)…
Oysters, mussels and clams
The seafood appetizer based on oysters, mussels and clams is a good opportunity to fill up on iron. Bivalve molluscs are in fact rich in this important nutrient, so much so that six raw oysters can provide 4.9 mg of iron. They are also an excellent source of zinc, with 31.8 mg, and vitamin B12, with 13.6 micrograms.
Ceci
Animal products are known to be sources of iron, but that doesn’t mean plant products can’t help you reach your goal too. Chickpeas, a type of legume quite common in our cuisine and in the Mediterranean cuisine in general, provide 1.5 mg of iron per cup, as well as lean proteins of plant origin – 10.7 g per cup.
Fortified cereals
The perfect breakfast could be a fortified bowl of cereal, as it will start your day with a nice dose of iron. It’s also helpful for filling up on dietary fiber, which can help relieve constipation and reduce your chances of developing diabetes and heart disease.
Pumpkin seeds
It may come as a surprise to some, but a one-ounce serving of raw unshelled pumpkin seeds actually contains 2.4 mg of iron, making it a good source of iron. Additionally, one pound of pumpkin seeds contains 8.5 g of protein.
Edamame
One cup of edamame, raw green soy beans, contains about 9.1 mg of iron, making them an excellent source of this nutrient. Plus, they’re a good source of minerals like copper, which helps keep your blood vessels and immune system healthy.
Black beans
Boiled black beans contain 3.6 mg of iron per cup. To improve iron absorption, pair them with healthy foods such as cabbage, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower. These are foods rich in vitamin C, a nutrient that promotes the absorption of non-heme iron.
Lentils
Another legume that deserves an honorable mention for iron is lentils. Cooked ones offer an excellent source of this mineral, with about 6.6 mg per cup. Plus, they offer 15.6 g of fiber per cup.
Spinach
Regardless of its preparation, spinach is an excellent source of iron, providing 3.7 mg of iron, as well as protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A and E.
Sesame seeds
The seeds contain iron – 1.3 mg per tablespoon, as well as phosphorus, vitamin E and zinc. An easy way to incorporate seeds into your diet is to sprinkle them on a salad: each spoonful will add more than a milligram of iron to your daily needs, helping you reach your goal of 18 mg per day more easily!