Iron is essential for the creation of hemoglobin, the key protein in red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Hemoglobin also allows red blood cells to carry waste carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs. Iron is essential to the production of myoglobin, a protein that supplies oxygen directly to muscles. Iron is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, occurring in many plants and all animals.
Types of Iron
The iron in your diet comes in two forms, heme and non-heme. Your body is more readily able to absorb heme iron than the non-heme form. Meat contains heme iron, and 35 percent of this iron is absorbed in the digestive system. Most of the iron in your diet is the non-heme form and this iron comes from plant sources and fortified foods. Your body, according to Colorado State University, absorbs only three percent of non-heme iron. Vegetarians should be aware of this low absorption rate and of the need to eat a variety of iron rich foods.
Iron Deficient Anemia
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, according to the World Health Organization. This deficiency can cause the most common form of anemia. Iron deficiency anemia results in low levels of red blood cells and feelings of weakness, irritability and trouble staying focused. This anemia can be caused by a lack of iron from the diet, a rapid period of growth, pregnancy, blood loss or an inability to properly absorb iron.
Herbs with Iron
Traditional medicine used red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy, possibly because of its high iron content. Dandelion root and leaf are also high in iron. Drink dandelion root tea or add the leaves into a salad. Stinging nettles are high in iron, as well as vitamins A, C, K and calcium. Yellow dock leaves are high in iron although the leaves also have a laxative action and can cause diarrhea.
Foods with Iron
Given the importance of iron in our bodies, it is not surprising to find that iron rich foods are in most of the basic food groups. Red meat such as pork, lamb and beef, eggs, poultry, seafood, nuts and beans are rich in iron. Good sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables, potatoes, beets, artichoke, cauliflower, dates and raisins. Fortified breads, pasta and cereals are usually rich in iron while oats, wild rice and wheat bran are good sources. Other good sources of iron are Brewer's yeast, blackstrap molasses and chocolate.
Considerations for Iron Absorption
Iron is absorbed within the first four hours after eating, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Other foods that you eat at the same time can help or hinder the absorption of iron. Foods that contain calcium, such as milk, cheese and yogurt can inhibit the absorption of iron in the small bowel. Don't eat calcium-rich foods for one hour before or after eating foods high in iron. On the other hand, foods that contain vitamin C help you absorb iron. Citrus foods like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes are high in vitamin C. Adding mandarin orange slices to a spinach salad, or drinking grapefruit juice with your eggs will help your body to absorb the iron in the food.
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