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Iron: “Ask The Expert” Column
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By Liz Pearson
My doctor tells me my iron levels are low. How can I make sure I get enough iron in my diet?
You're not alone: The average daily iron intake for pre-menopausal women in Canada is about 12 mg, which falls significantly short of the recommended intake of 18 mg per day. Lack of iron can leave you feeling tired and weak, and increase your likelihood of getting sick because your immune system isn't functioning at its peak. What you may not realize, however, is that it's not the total amount of iron you eat each day that's most important. Rather, it's the type of foods you're eating at each meal that most strongly affects your iron levels.
Which iron is best?
Two kinds of iron are found in food: heme iron and non-heme iron. Both are found in meat, poultry, fish and other seafood. Heme iron is always well absorbed by the body. Non-heme iron which makes up 85 to 90% of the iron we eat is found in grains (enriched and whole), beans, nuts and some vegetables and fruit, like asparagus and dried apricots. It is not well absorbed and is greatly influenced by the types of food you eat at each meal. Fortunately, you can enhance the absorption of non-heme iron by either including or excluding certain foods at each meal.
Boosting iron absorption
Your body can't absorb non-heme iron as well when it is eaten with foods that contain certain compounds, including those called flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in a wide variety of foods, including tea, red wine, grape juice, prune juice, apples, cocoa and dark chocolate. For example, a cup of tea enjoyed with a non-heme meal, like a three-bean salad, may reduce iron absorption by 75 to 80%. Drink tea between meals rather than with your bowl of bran flakes.
Eating vitamin C-rich foods helps increase the absorption of non-heme iron. Good Vitamin C sources include citrus fruits and their juices, kiwi, strawberries, red and green peppers, broccoli, kale and brussels sprouts. You can double your non-heme iron absorption when you consume 25 mg of vitamin C (about ¼ cup of orange juice) at the same meal. The absorption increases by as much as three to six-fold when you consume 50 mg of vitamin C (about ½ cup of orange juice).
Eating meat, poultry, fish, or other seafood at the same meal also enhances non-heme iron absorption. For example, adding ground beef to chili will increase the absorption of iron from beans. Adding clams to tomato sauce will increase the absorption of iron from pasta.
Plan your meals
To make sure that your body gets the iron that it needs, try the following:- At every meal, include foods that contain iron. Sources of easily absorbed heme iron include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and seafood. (Red meat is the best dietary source of iron. Consider putting it on your menu at least once or twice a week.) Sources of less well-absorbed non-heme iron include fortified breakfast cereals, breads and pasta (both whole grain and enriched), beans, nuts and seeds, dried fruit (eg. raisins, apricots), dark green, leafy vegetables (eg. kale, asparagus), and eggs.
- Enjoy cereal that is fortified with iron. Most regular oatmeal, for example, is not fortified with iron, while most instant oatmeal is. When buying cereal, look for iron on the ingredient list.
- Because it's a challenge to get enough iron, women of childbearing age (who lose iron with their periods) should take a daily multivitamin that contains at least 10 mg of iron. After menopause, daily requirements for iron fall from 18 mg to 8 mg, and post-menopausal women should take a specially formulated multivitamin that is lower in iron. Although research has been inconclusive, some studies do suggest a link between too much iron and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.
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