Iron in Your Diet
The best food sources of easily absorbed iron are animal products,
which contain heme iron. Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains
and supplements (non-heme iron) is harder for the body to absorb.
If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark
leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable
sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also
increase iron absorption.
Some foods decrease iron absorption. Commercial black or
pekoe teas contain substances that bind to iron so it cannot
be used by the body.
Consider the amount absorbable iron in a food, not just the
total iron content. Iron sources that have high iron availability
include the following:
• Oysters
• Liver
• Lean red meat (especially beef)
• Poultry, dark red meat
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Iron-fortified cerelas
• Dried beans
• Whole grans
• Eggs (especially egg yolks)
• Dried fruits
• Dark leafy green vegetables
Reasonable amounts of iron are also found in lamb, pork, and
shellfish. Non-heme iron is found in the following:
Whole Grains
• Wheat
• Millet
• Oats
• Brown Rice
Legumes
• Lima Beans
• Soybeans
• Dried beans and peas
• Kidney beans
Seeds
• Almonds
• Brazil Nuts
Dried Fruits
• Prunes
• Raisins
• Apricots
Vegetables
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Kale
• Collards
• Asparagus
• Dandelion Greens
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