Good sources of iron are those of animal origin, because they provide a better digestible form of the element. Liver is the leader among them. Plants in which you will find a lot of iron are: spinach, beetroot, legumes. Grain products and nuts are also good sources of iron.

Iron (Fe) is an element essential for life, although it is present in the body in the amount of 3-4 g. This mineral is essential for the course of key biological processes. Its deficiency may lead to anemia, i.e. a decrease in hemoglobin or the number of red blood cells. Find out what are the best sources of iron in your diet to help keep your body functioning properly.

What is the role of iron in the body?

Iron plays an important role in the proper functioning of the body. This element is part of many substances, and the most famous of them are:

• hemoglobin – about 75% of iron in the form of divalent ions is associated with hemoglobin, which ensures the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues,
• myoglobin – a protein in muscles that allows them to take the oxygen from the blood to work.

Iron is a mineral that determines the most important life processes of the body. It affects, among others on DNA synthesis (the process of creating new DNA strands), energy metabolism (a process ensuring the maintenance of life functions, which consists in obtaining and using energy from food), (these structures are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body), detoxification of harmful products (the process of elimination, cleansing toxins) or protecting cells from oxidative stress (a state of imbalance that occurs when

Iron deficiency is associated with numerous disorders in the body. Deficiency can lead to lowering of hemoglobin in the blood and, consequently, to anemia. It manifests itself:

• pale skin and conjunctiva,
• lowering the body’s immunity,
• weakness, drowsiness,
• changes in the mucosa, e.g. rites in the corners of the mouth, atrophy of the lingual papillae,
• diarrhea,
• increased brittleness of hair and nails,
• deteriorated mental performance.

How Much Iron Does the Body Need? What are the types of iron?

Natural sources of iron supply the body with two types of this mineral. Meat products – in heme form, and plant products – in non-haem form. It is estimated that heme iron constitutes only 10% of the total of this nutrient in the diet. Unfortunately, it is it that shows a much better bioavailability, as much as 50%, while the bioavailability of non-haem iron is a maximum of 10%.

Here is the recommended daily iron intake by life stage:

• infants – 11 mg,
• children aged 1-3 years – 7 mg,
• children aged 3-10 years – 10 mg,
• boys aged 10-18 years – 12 mg,
• girls aged 10-18 years – 18 mg,
• men – 15 mg,
• women of childbearing age – 20 mg,
• pregnant women – 25 mg,
• postmenopausal women – 10 mg.

Heme Iron Sources – Which Are the Best?

Offal, especially the liver, are among the best sources of heme iron. These products include copper, phosphorus, vitamins A, B2, B12, niacin. Eggs and lean red meat will also provide a lot of iron.

Here is the iron content in 100 g of selected meat sources:

• goose liver – 30.5 mg,
• pork liver – 18.7 mg,
• blood bowel – 16.9 mg,
• beef liver – 9.4 mg,
• calf liver – 7.9 mg,
• chicken yolk – 7.2 mg.

Iron, unfortunately, is not provided by fish, but nevertheless they are an important part of the diet. The iron content in 100 g of selected fish is as follows:

• salmon – 1 mg,
• tuna – 1.2 mg,
• smoked mackerel – 1.2 mg,
• sardines – 1.4 mg,
• sardines in oil – 4.2 mg.

Natural sources of non-heme iron

You will find non-heme iron in many more foods. First of all, in whole grains of cereals, which are also complex – healthier for the body than simple ones due to longer digestion and, therefore, less insulin release into the blood. Whole grains of cereals include: whole grain pasta, brown rice, cereals, wholemeal bread. Plant sources of iron also include various seeds and seeds, including pumpkin seeds, sesame, sunflower seeds, pistachio nuts, coconut flakes, blue poppy seeds. The latter is worth reaching when the body feels bigger. 100 g of poppy seeds contain as much as 1266 mg of this ingredient.

Good sources of iron are: legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), green vegetables (spinach, Brussels sprouts, watercress, parsley), chard, beets. Dried fruit is also a tasty source of iron in the diet.

Here is how the iron content in selected nuts and dried fruits looks like:

• apricots – 3.6 mg,
• figs – 3.5 mg,
• raisins – 2.3 mg,
• dates – 2 mg.

Cocoa is also a good source of iron. In 100 g there is 10.7 mg of this element. Therefore, when eating chocolate, choose a bitter one, which has a high cocoa content.

When your diet is dominated by plant sources of iron, vitamin C must not be missing, which increases the absorption of this mineral. Hence, the menu should include such combinations as, for example, beetroot with lemon juice, green vegetables with paprika, whole grain flakes with blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. Another substance that will increase the absorption of non-haem iron is histidine. It is one of the amino acids that is found, among others in milk and its products, in buckwheat or seeds.