Foods high in iron

allangirl
allangirl Posts: 56 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
In the last 3 months I have gone to donate blood twice and have been turned away because my iron is too low. What foods can I eat to increase my iron? I am female, 36 years old. I don't intentionally not eat meat I just forget when I'm cooking for 1.

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,098 Member
    Liver. Meat generally, including poultry and fish. Molasses. Dark leafy greens. Iron-fortified cereals and other grain products. Legumes and legume products (like tofu). Teff (the flour used in the spongy, sourdough Ethiopian bread njera).

    If you don't eat much meat, absorption of plant-based iron is improved by consuming vitamin C with it (e.g., a spinach salad with grapefruit or mandarin orange segments). Supposedly if you cook in cast-iron some of the iron will leach into the food--I don't know whether it's enough to make a real difference or how readily absorbed it is in that form.
  • spamarie
    spamarie Posts: 2,825 Member
    I've been turned away from giving blood for low iron too on occasion. Not so low I'm anemic, just too low to give blood.

    The blood donor centre suggested I eat more red meat, eggs, lentils, spinach and fortified cereal/bread. They also said it's important to eat foods that aid the absorption of iron too, which means foods high in vitamin C. So have an orange with your cereal, or some broccoli with your steak. It hasn't taken much tweaking of my diet to ensure my iron levels are now high enough to give blood (although they were never seriously low to begin with).
  • anne3091
    anne3091 Posts: 15
    Eat green vegetables, they are rich in Iron. And i have heard that eating pomegranate helps to increase blood. It also have many health benefits.
  • allangirl
    allangirl Posts: 56 Member
    Thank you for the advice. I didn't know eating citrus foods helped with iron absorption.
  • ancurtis
    ancurtis Posts: 68 Member
    I deal with anemia regularly...despite my eating habits. Yes on the eating vitamin c with iron rich foods. I also take a prescription iron pill. If you are a grit eater, they are super high in iron. If your low iron continues or get worse be sure to get it checked.
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    Be careful with tannins....my iron was really low and it was because I was drinking too much Tea and coffee with my high iron meals! At night before bed I use those purabsorb iron packets in water with some lemon for vitamin c for better absorption!

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Beans have more iron per calorie than meat: soy beans, chick peas, lima beans, black eyed peas, lentils.
  • Kontxesi
    Kontxesi Posts: 86 Member
    I had two servings of bran flakes for lunch today and got 90% of my iron from just that. Also, as others have said, leafy greens and beans are great sources.
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    RodaRose wrote: »
    Beans have more iron per calorie than meat: soy beans, chick peas, lima beans, black eyed peas, lentils.

    Agree!! as a vegetarian and with Low iron running in my family I rose my levels by adding beans to my diet!
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Iron is poorly absorbed almost reguardless of source, but heme iron (animal foods) is the easiest form to absorb.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    Just take tablets, some women can't get enough iron from food. Anemic. I had this problem for years. Get Slow Fe Iron, those have a stool softener.
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