Iron is considered an essential mineral to the human body as it plays a key role in the synthesis of blood cells, MedlinePlus reports. A lack of iron can lead to conditions such as iron deficiency anemia, which is characterized by fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, irritability or weight loss. You can seek out iron through supplements and through iron-rich foods. In addition, there are other foods that can increase your body's ability to absorb the iron you eat. While you should discuss any concerns of anemia with your doctor, you can also begin to combine foods wisely for maximum iron absorption.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which is a nutrient known to significantly increase iron absorption, reports Dummies.com. If you eat an iron-rich food with a food high in vitamin C, it can increase your body's absorption of the iron by up to 20 times. Citrus fruits such as grapefruit, lemon and oranges are notably high in vitamin C, but other fruits rich in this vitamin include strawberries, papaya, kiwi and honeydew. You can also take vitamin C as a vitamin, or eat it in other foods such as vegetables.
Vegetables and Acidic Foods
Various vegetables are high in vitamin C, and these can also increase your body's ability to derive maximum iron from your food. Among the vegetables high in vitamin C are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes. In addition, you can further boost your iron absorption by cooking acidic foods like tomatoes or tomato sauce in a cast-iron skillet. These foods may draw some of the iron from the skillet, enhancing the overall content.
Meat
You may know that iron is present in many meats, but some meat and fish can also increase your body's ability to absorb vegetable sources of iron, according to MedlinePlus. Vegetable sources of iron, such as spinach, other dark leafy greens and beans, are more difficult to absorb than animal-derived sources, reports FamilyDoctor.org. For this reason, combining these vegetables with lean meat, fish or poultry can increase your absorption of the iron from the vegetables by three times.
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