Looking deeper into iron

The next few blogs will go into a deeper discussion of some of the nutrients that we focused on this summer. Today we will talk more about iron.

Iron is a mineral that is important for carrying oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells. If you don't get enough iron, you may feel weak or tired, because the red blood cells can't carry as much oxygen. Iron also helps protect against infection, changes beta carotene into vitamin A, helps produce collagen, and helps make other proteins.

For a refresher on iron, refer back to this blog entry.

Iron comes from animal foods and plant foods. Iron from animal foods is called heme iron and is better absorbed than the iron from plant foods, called nonheme iron.

Liver, sirloin, ground beef, chicken, pork, salmon, and other meats are good sources of heme iron. Breakfast cereal, pumpkins seeds, soybean nuts, spinach, eggs, bran, beans, and enriched grains are good sources of nonheme iron.

Some nutrients interfere with iron absorption. Oxalic acid in spinach and chocolate, phytic acid in wheat bran and legumes, tannins in tea and coffee, and polyphenols in coffee are thought to inhibit iron absorption.

There are ways to enhance or overcome those inhibitors and to help the body better absorb the iron from nonheme sources. One way is to pair heme iron sources with nonheme iron sources or with the inhibitors. Another way is to consume foods with vitamin C (such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, or broccoli) with nonheme sources or the inhibitors also help. Vitamin C and heme iron sources will help the body better absorb nonheme iron and overcome the iron inhibitors.

Here are some examples that will help your body absorb the most iron possible:

• Try sirloin strips or grilled chicken on your spinach salad with green peppers.
• Add strawberries to your oatmeal.
• Eat peanut butter on whole wheat bread with a glass of orange juice.
• If you drink coffee or tea with your meals, eat some type of meat or vitamin C food. If not, try to drink tea in between meals instead of during.
• Eat salmon with a side of brown rice and broccoli.
• Cook in an iron skillet.

Information is from Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, American Dietetics Association.