According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine", 50 percent of anemia types are due to iron deficiency, making it the most common cause worldwide. This type of anemia can be caused by many underlying processes including menstruation, slow gastrointestinal bleeding or a dietary deficiency of iron. Supplementing your diet with the following types of foods will help your body replenish its iron stores if you have been diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia or have been told you are at risk for developing this condition.
Meats
Many meats are not only great sources of iron, they have also been known since the late 1960s to contain a form of iron which is much more readily absorbed by the body than most vegetable sources. According to the 1969 "American Society of Hematology", meat and soybean sources tagged with radioactive iron demonstrate an absorption of 15.6 to 20.3 versus 1.7 to 7.9 in vegetable sources. Meats which are particularly high in iron include clams, oysters, beef liver and chicken liver. Be aware that according to the March 2003 "Nutrition Research Newsletter", cooking meat at higher temperatures can decrease the content and absorption of iron by as much as 50 percent.
Vegetables, beans and legumes
While not as readily absorbed as meat sources, some vegetable sources still contain high levels of iron. In addition, they are oftentimes more healthy or may be the only option, for example for the vegetarian patient. Based on the values provided by the 2009 USDA "National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22," when looking for iron-rich vegetables focus on greens such as spinach, collard greens, kale, and mustard greens. Also look for broccoli, asparagus, parsley, and brussel sprouts. Soybeans and tofu are an excellent source of iron and as mentioned above also benefit from the increased absorption that meats enjoy. In the world of legumes look for lentils, black eye beans and navy beans for particularly rich sources.
Breads, cereals and grains
Breads, cereals and grains are decent sources of iron on their own. In addition, in many parts of the world including the United States and Europe, breads and cereals are routinely fortified with extra iron. Keep an eye out for breads which state they are iron-fortified on the label. Bran flakes, oatmeal and Cream of Wheat are excellent sources in the cereals category.
References
- "U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service;" USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22; 2009
- "American Society of Hematology, Inc.;" Food Iron Absorption: A Comparison of Vegetable and Animal Foods; M. LAYRISSE, J. D. COOK, C. MARTINEZ, M. ROCHE, I. N. KUHN, R. B. WALKER, C. A. FINCH; October 1968
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17e;" Anthony S. Fauci, Eugene Braunwald, Dennis L. Kasper, Stephen L. Hauser, Dan L. Longo, J. Larry Jameson, and Joseph Loscalzo, Eds.; 2008
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