Foods with Iron

Lack of sufficient quantity of iron in the body is one of the most common reasons that causes iron deficiency anemia, medically known as sideropenic anemia. The oxygen carrying capacity of the blood depends on the iron content of hemoglobin present in red blood cells. A balanced diet that includes adequate foods with iron will help to avoid as well as cope with any disorders caused due to iron deficiency. Read more on iron rich foods.

List of Foods with Iron

Vegetables and Legumes: Green leafy vegetables are the best source of iron. Spinach, broccoli, potato, lentils, peas, tomato, Swiss chard, beet, kale, turnip greens (turnip leaves), collard greens, mustard green, etc., are some of the examples of iron rich vegetables. Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, black beans, soybeans, lima beans, winged beans, white beans, etc., are also well known sources of bean foods with iron content of a high quality.

Fruits: Fruits like watermelon, abiyuch, orange, tamarinds, apples, figs, prune, avocados, cantaloupe, blackberries, kiwi, strawberries, banana, grapes, etc., are fruits that are rich in iron. Dried fruits like dried apricots and dried pears provide good amount of iron. Consuming these fruits or fruit juices help to maintain the iron content of the body during pregnancy.

Meat/Fish/Poultry: Poultry products such as chicken, turkey, eggs, and other meat products like beef kidney, beef liver, pork kidney, pork liver, calf liver, lamb as well as seafoods like clams, trouts, sardines, scallops, tuna, oysters, shrimp, salmon prove to be an excellent source of iron, if included in the diet.

Besides the above natural sources of iron, there are other iron fortified foods like cereals, oatmeals, breads, spaghetti, etc., that are easy sources of iron in the food and can be easily included in the daily diet. Beverages such as tea, coffee and cold drinks should be avoided in order to ensure maximum absorption of iron, since these factors hinder the iron absorption process. Vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron hence, maintain a proper intake of vitamin C in your diet. Read more on importance of vitamin C.

Over Consumption of Iron

Excess intake of iron should be avoided since, too much of iron in the body can prove to be toxic. Large amount of iron in the body can damage the mitochondrial DNA. The accumulation of free iron in the cells of the heart, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, skin, joints and gonads can chronically damage these organs. The human metabolism does not have a separate mechanism for the removal of excess iron from the body. Therefore, it is necessary that we control the intake of iron ourselves by eating a balanced amount of iron rich foods. Read more on Iron Rich Foods - List of Foods High in Iron.

The recommended intake of iron for children below 10 years of age is about 6-10 mg/day, for adolescent and adult females it ranges from 10-15 mg/day, for adolescent and adult males it is around 10-12 mg/day and for a pregnant woman it should be 30 mg/day. The quantity of iron in the body for an adult should not exceed 45 mg/day and for children it should be within 40 mg/day. A healthy diet that consists of foods with iron and other vital nutrients will help to maintain the body metabolism efficiently.