You need iron and potassium to maintain your health. Iron is an important component of hemoglobin and many of your enzymes, and potassium maintains your water balance and keeps your blood pressure in check. Many different types of food contain iron and potassium citrate---the form of potassium that occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. You can also take iron and potassium supplements to make obtain the recommended daily requirements.
Foods Rich in Iron
Certain fruits, vegetables and protein-based foods, such as meats and beans, naturally contain a lot of iron. According to the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center, the best fruits to eat for iron include prunes, figs, watermelon and raisins. The vegetables richest in iron are spinach and peas. Fruits and vegetables that contain lesser, but still appreciable, amounts of iron include apples, bananas, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, apricots, cantaloupe, oranges and pears.
The best protein-based foods to eat for iron include liver, pork, beef, lentils, black-eyed peas, tofu, and kidney beans. Chicken, eggs, peanut butter, tuna and hot dogs also have some iron, but not as much.
Grain-based foods such as breads and cereals are often enriched with iron by their manufacturers. Check individual product labels to find out how much iron each one has.
Foods Rich in Potassium Citrate
According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, certain fruits, vegetables, beans, and enriched breads and cereals contain a lot of potassium citrate. Unlike for iron, meats are a poor source of potassium. The fruits with the most potassium include oranges, apricots, cantaloupe, prunes, bananas, grapefruits, tomatoes, avocados, peaches and raisins. Good vegetables to eat for potassium include potatoes, winter squash, beet greens, chard, peas, spinach and lima beans. Pinto beans, kidney beans, lentils and black beans also contain a lot of potassium. As with iron, cereals and breads may be enriched with potassium, so you will have to check product labels to learn how much potassium each product contains.
Supplements
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Reference Intake tables, an adult male should consume 8 mg of iron and 4.7 g of potassium per day, and an adult female of reproductive age should consume 18 mg of iron and 4.7 g of potassium. Sometimes you may not have access to the right foods to get enough potassium citrate or iron in your diet. In that case, you can take an iron supplement and a potassium supplement. Iron supplements are best taken with a vitamin C drink, such as orange juice, which helps with iron absorption. The potassium in potassium supplements often comes in the form of potassium chloride, which is processed just like potassium citrate by your body.
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