Iron-Rich Foods
Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry. It is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed by your body. You absorb up to 30 percent of the heme iron that you consume. Eating meat generally boosts your iron levels far more than eating non-heme iron.
There is 0.3 mg of iron in one-third of a medium avocado. That's 2% of the daily value (DV) of iron. Nutrient-rich avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Learn more about the benefits of avocado here.
That's about five eggs every week, and for good reason too! Eggs have 1.89 mg of iron, which increases energy and boosts your immune system.
Iron content in bananas is low, approximately 0.4 mg/100 g of fresh weight. There is a strategy of developing modified lines of bananas to increase their iron content; the target is a 3- to 6-fold increase.
There are basically three main ways you can become iron deficient. First, bleeding can cause you to lose more blood cells and iron than your body can replace. Bleeding due to ulcers, cancers, taking aspirin or other medicines can cause anemia. In women, this can happen because of heavy or frequent menstrual periods.
Several treatments can be used to treat anemia. Iron supplements, also called iron pills or oral iron, help increase the iron in your body. This is the most common treatment for iron-deficiency anemia. It often takes three to six months to restore your iron levels.
Vitamin C increases absorption of both heme and non-heme iron absorption. Four ounces (1/2 cup) of orange juice is enough to increase iron absorption. Other sources of vitamin C include citrus fruit, fresh bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, and fresh broccoli.
In general, patients with iron deficient anemia should manifest a response to iron with reticulocytosis in three to seven days, followed by an increase in hemoglobin in 2-4 weeks.
Berries – Berries are not a strong carrier of iron but they act as an active iron absorber. Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or blackberries are all good sources of vitamin C. Consumption of any type of berries increases the absorption rate of non-heme iron. 100 grams of berries contain 0.3mg Iron.
Berries – vitamin-rich blueberries contain a variety of minerals, including iron. In 100 grams, this delicious and nutrient-dense berry contains 0.7 mg of iron. Currants also contain iron in a quantity of 0.9 mg per 100 g. With 100 grams of berries, our body will receive 12% of the daily norm of a useful mineral.
Apples are known for their high iron content and vitamin C content, both of which are essential for preventing and reversing anemia. Anemia is a deficiency of hemoglobin in the blood, which can be fixed by increasing your intake of iron.
One serving of eggs (2x 60g eggs) provides 1.7mg of iron, which represents 14% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for adults and 17.5% for children aged 9-13 years.
Carrots are high in iron, particularly non-heme iron, as well as a good source of vitamin C. In addition they have Vitamin A and beta-carotene.
Peanut butter provides a moderate amount of iron. It can be a significant source of iron for people who follow a vegetarian diet or who eat modest amounts of meat. However, if plant foods are your only source of iron, you will need to consume almost twice as much food compared to people who eat meat.
Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and yogurt, although rich in calcium, have negligible iron content. It is important to eat a variety of foods every day.
It is also of importance that iron-fortified drinking water can be used for cooking family meals, another way of supplying the daily iron intake and preventing all age iron deficiency anemia (29).