Iron is a component important for human life as it is the major carrier of hemoglobin in the blood. It keeps the person healthy and is important for many organs of the body. Lack of iron causes anemia, which can be deadly to some extent. Women menstruate every month; that’s why they are more prone to anemia. An average man requires 8 to 9 mg of iron a day; on the other hand, the average woman needs 14 to 15 mg of iron.
There are multiple iron supplements present in the market if a person suffers from deficiency. But there is a natural way to do it, and that is through the iron food we intake. There are various and lots of iron-rich foods that we can intake in our daily life. Here are some of the common and easily available foods rich in iron.
How to identify the deficiency of iron in the body:
To focus on a good intake diet, one must know what is deficient in their body. As humans, our body provides us with multiple signals to identify deficiencies. If one is suffering from iron deficiency then they may feel:
- Some kind of fatigue
- Weakness and pale skin
- Longer or short breath with a bit of chest pain
- A little dizzy and can have headaches too
- Inflammation in the body or sourness in some parts like under the eye or tongue.
Healthy Foods Rich in Iron
Two types of iron food are heme iron and non-heme iron, which are present in meat and plant-based foods.
Heme Iron Rich foods:
Meat:
It is one of the sources of iron that is available all over. 100 gm of meat contains almost 1.4 mg of iron. Red meat comes first in the line because, as per research, redder meat is more iron content. It gradually boosts the iron content in the body more than other sources. Beef, lamb, and venison contain the highest iron being a lump of red meat. For every 100gm of red meat, beef contains nearly 3 mg of iron, whereas lamb has approximately 2mg. Venison meat contains the most, which is nearly around 5mg. There are certain restrictions in every country regarding meat products. Some basic products are available mostly everywhere, such as lamb and chicken.
Seafood:
It is an easy method to include iron in a person’s diet. If you like seafood then it is a great source of iron for you. Most of the iron-rich seafood includes clams, oysters, octopus, mussels, and squid; these can be exotic to find. Fish, crabs, and shrimp are easy to find seafood and they are rich in iron too. Large-fin fish like herring, pike, tuna, and mackerel are good in iron content. Any person who consumes seafood can complete 75 to 125% of their iron intake from seafood itself.
Eggs:
Iron is required to boost your immune energy and eggs do the same. Being a good source of protein, it also contains nearly 2mg of iron, which is a good amount to keep a person going. Being rich in iron helps in maintaining good blood pressure in the body. The majority of the iron possessing part in an egg is the yolk. Due to its easy availability, it is a great source of iron in day-to-day life or even during recovering from injuries.
Non-heme Iron Rich Food:
Spinach:
Being filled with fiber, spinach is also a great source of iron. Its content is almost 3 mg of iron. Despite being a green leafy vegetable, it also increases the absorption rate of iron. Cooked spinach is very benefitting to the body and its various organs. On average 38% of women’s iron needs and 17% of men’s get fulfilled through 100gm of spinach. It can be used directly as food or can be amalgamated in various side dishes.
Dark chocolate:
Yes, you read that right; a sweet treat can be a source of iron, too. As per research, 45% dark chocolate contains 12 mg of iron per 100 gm. The raw cacao which is used in its processing is high in antioxidants and contains a concentrated amount of iron. If the concentration of cocoa increases thus the iron content. It helps in controlling uneven blood pressure, and inflammation and even reduces insulin resistance. The good amount of iron that is present in dark chocolate also activates the brain to form new neuron connections. Dark chocolates are very good for heart health too, and persons suffering from high blood sugar levels can also consume them in small portions as it will help in maintaining good oxygen in the blood through the hemoglobin.
Nuts and seeds:
Most nuts are beneficial to the body. But among all, pistachio contains 14mg of iron, which is almost 4 times that of other nuts like almonds and cashews. Nuts are a healthy and less calorie option for iron intake. On the other side seeds like pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds are some no-fat, good sources of iron. One ounce of seeds can contain 2-4mg of iron in it. Some nut butter also contains a lot of iron for us, for instance; hazelnut, pinenut, pecans, and many others.
Tofu:
Most legumes have well-conserved iron, and so do soybeans, and the food processed from this is also a great substitute for it, like tofu. It is a permanent product made out of soybean. It offers 2-3mg of iron in a single serving. It is indeed very rich in protein and that makes it a very reliable source of iron absorption too.
In Shorts:
Iron is one of the essential minerals which is very required to keep the human body at pace. As with other minerals, their toxicity or deficiency can cause problems for a person. In such conditions, people prefer supplements to get themselves on track. But multiple food products naturally help in increasing iron levels in the blood. As per a person’s preference, they can get their iron intake from veg or non-veg foods. Most meats and their products contain heme iron, which is very fast absorbing, and plant-based products contain non-heme iron, which is a good source but for its absorption, the intake of vitamin C is necessary, too. By including them in your diet, you can improve the health of adversities as well as make your body more immune and resistant to other health crises.
