in

Iron-Rich Foods

Iron is an important trace element. If iron is missing, you feel weak and tired. You’re pale and you lose concentration. Because iron is responsible for ensuring that every cell in the body is supplied with sufficient oxygen. Iron deficiency is not uncommon – and one often wonders which foods contain a particularly large amount of iron. So find with us a list of the foods most rich in iron, foods that promote iron absorption and foods that inhibit it, and tips for natural iron supplements.

Iron-rich foods

Anyone looking for iron-rich foods will usually first find the reference to meat and liver and to the fact that animal sources of iron can be absorbed much better than iron from plant-based foods so one automatically begins to believe that one must inevitably develop an iron deficiency with a plant-based diet. But that is not the case at all.

If you combine plant-based iron-containing foods with foods that improve iron absorption and at the same time avoid foods that inhibit iron absorption, there is no reason for an iron deficiency even with a vegan diet – especially since it should not be forgotten that most people with iron deficiency “completely normal”, i.e. eat meat, a meat-containing diet can therefore in no way protect against iron deficiency.

Iron, iron requirement, and iron deficiency

Iron is a vital trace element that must be ingested with food. It is therefore essential.

The officially stated iron requirement is

  • for infants (4 months to 7 years): 8 mg
  • for children up to 10 years: 10 mg
  • for adolescents: 12–15 mg
  • for men and women (after menopause): 10 mg
  • for women of reproductive age: 15 mg
  • for breastfeeding women: 20 mg
  • for pregnant women: 30 mg

The main task of iron is the transport of oxygen in the body. For this purpose, it is located in the red blood cells and binds oxygen to itself, which can now be transported to every cell in the body. And since nothing works in the body without oxygen, since the spark that heats everything up is missing, so to speak, you are tired and listless with an iron deficiency.

The list of plant foods that provide a lot of iron

Most lists of foods that are supposed to provide you with a lot of iron consist of meat and sausage products in particular. Not so our list, which contains only plant-based iron-rich foods.

To meet your iron needs, follow these steps:

  • Look for those foods that have high and medium iron levels and that you naturally like. You put together your meals from these foods.
  • In addition, eat or drink foods that promote iron absorption.
  • At the same time, avoid foods that inhibit iron absorption.
  • In addition, you can take a high-quality and well-tolerated iron supplement – especially if you want to correct a specific iron deficiency.

Let’s start with the first point, the foods that contain a lot of iron:

Foods high in iron – The list of the most iron-rich foods

food, such as B. Spices, which may contain a lot of iron, but of which only the tiniest amounts are consumed every day and which are therefore not relevant for the iron supply, are understandably not included in our list.

After all, what use is it to you to know that turmeric provides around 40 mg or cinnamon 28 mg of iron per 100 grams? They eat maybe a pinch (1 gram) of each one daily. Only if you z. For example, if you want to use turmeric therapeutically or as a cure, you take 5 grams of it and thus quite relevant amounts of iron (2 mg) for a spice.

For a turmeric cure, we recommend our specially developed turmeric cookbook.

Please note Nutritional values ​​and thus also the iron values ​​of food can naturally vary and depend on many factors, e.g. B. from the respective variety, the cultivation, and fertilization method, the soil quality, the climate, the country of origin, the harvest time, the storage method, the storage period, etc. The values ​​given by us are therefore only a guide and can also vary in reality – or be exceeded.

Foods to promote iron absorption

In addition to measures to avoid excess phytic acid (e.g. soaking and sprouting legumes and grains and taking probiotics), the following foods promote iron absorption:

  • Plant-based rice protein powder (as a dietary supplement in shakes and smoothies)
  • Onions and garlic (raw and cooked)
  • Fruits (due to their vitamin C content, fructose, and organic acids)
  • Foods high in vitamin C (200 mg of vitamin C per day is recommended for iron absorption)
  • Foods high in vitamin C include the following fruits and vegetables (always per 100g of raw food, unless otherwise noted).

Natural iron-rich dietary supplements and natural iron supplements

If you are iron deficient, you should also take one or two iron-rich supplements. You can decide whether you want to take an iron-rich plant powder (e.g. chlorella, moringa, parsley, hemp protein powder, or similar) or a natural iron supplement (e.g. iron from the curry leaf or chelated iron).

In contrast to conventional iron tablets, these iron supplements are well-tolerated and digestible.

Avatar photo

Written by Micah Stanley

Hi, I'm Micah. I am a creative Expert Freelance Dietitian Nutritionist with years of experience in counseling, recipe creation, nutrition, and content writing, product development.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Vegan Protein Shakes Are Effective

Soy: To Prevent Diabetes And Heart Disease