You can
get iron from foods like lean beef, chicken and turkey; beans and peas; spinach; and iron - enriched breads and cereals.
You may need to get iron through an IV if you have problems with the iron pills or if your body doesn't absorb
enough iron from food or iron pills.
To absorb the
most iron from the foods you eat, avoid drinking coffee or tea or consuming calcium - rich foods or drinks with meals containing iron - rich foods.
Although there are plenty of ways to
get iron from the foods you eat, it's always good to have extra insurance when it comes to this vital nutrient.
This means we don't absorb and use this kind of iron as efficiently as we do
heme iron from foods such as steak and shellfish.
Alexandra, I'm always a fan of getting
iron from foods rather than pills that aren't very bioavailable and can in fact be harmful.
Although polyphenols provide many disease - preventing benefits, they are best consumed between meals to ensure maximum absorption of
iron from foods in each meal.
Hemalatha S, Platel K and Srinivasan K. Influence of germination and fermentation on bioaccessibility of zinc and
iron from food grains.
Not absorbing
enough iron from food or supplements can lead to anemia, cognitive problems, weakened immunity, pregnancy complications, and other health issues.
You can also get too much iron from iron pills (if you also
get iron from food) or from repeated blood transfusions.
The best source
of iron from your food is red meat, fish and chicken, followed by leafy green veg like broccoli and kale, beans / pulses, dried fruit and fortified breakfast cereals.
Cow's milk is very low in iron, and therefore should not be fed to babies before 9 - 12 months of age, when the baby is taking in enough
iron from foods.
Vegetables, eggs, cereals and pulses also contain some iron but
the iron from these foods is less well absorbed.
Mangoes — and other foods high in vitamin C — help your baby absorb more
iron from the foods he eats.
Vitamin C makes non-heme (vegetable - based) iron more bioavailable and also helps your body absorb more
iron from the foods you eat.
The extra vitamin C kick assists your body in the absorption of
iron from food.
Most people get enough
iron from food.
There are also some things that lower the body's ability to absorb
iron from food.