Need more iron

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christietine
christietine Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Need to incorporate more iron into my diet. What works for you?

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Dark chocolate, spinach, edamame, oatmeal
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
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    Are you low in iron? and has it been a cronic condition? It was my low iron that had my doctor looking for 'other reasons' versus my diet.

    from WebMD

    Iron-Rich Foods

    Very good sources of heme iron, with 3.5 milligrams or more per serving, include:
    •3 ounces of beef or chicken liver
    •3 ounces of clams, mollusks, or mussels
    •3 ounces of oysters

    Good sources of heme iron, with 2.1 milligrams or more per serving, include:
    •3 ounces of cooked beef
    •3 ounces of canned sardines, canned in oil
    •3 ounces of cooked turkey

    Other sources of heme iron, with 0.7 milligrams or more per serving, include:
    •3 ounces of chicken
    •3 ounces of halibut, haddock, perch, salmon, or tuna
    •3 ounces of ham
    •3 ounces of veal

    Iron in plant foods such as lentils, beans, and spinach is nonheme iron. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. Our bodies are less efficient at absorbing nonheme iron, but most dietary iron is nonheme iron.
  • christietine
    christietine Posts: 3 Member
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    2 years ago my doctor said I was low in iron and I just attributed it to my diet. My next visit she said it was normal.

    Since starting MFP I noticed that my daily iron intake is always extremely low. I eat fairly well most of the time just thought I needed more iron. It sounds silly that I'm basing this off information from an app.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    catscats222 wrote: »
    do you take a daily multi-vitamin? that could contain a bit of "insurance" iron in case you don't eat right every single day.
    red meat, cereals, chicken, beans all contain iron
    too much iron can cause liver damage, so please be careful

    This^

    If you take a multi it may contain iron. No child proof cap - no iron, otherwise read the label. Vitamin C helps with absorption. Too much calcium will prevent absorption.

    Stand alone iron supplements often contain HUGE daily percentages.....don't go there unless your Dr. recommends.

    I sprinkle Grapenuts on my Greek yogurt. I like spinach salads. I eat meat.

    MFP numbers may be skewed. Added entries may not contain all the data. Read labels and make sure they are correct.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Red meats, especially organ meats (like liver) are excellent sources of iron. Some breakfast cereals are very good sources of iron. Fish (especially clams and oysters) are a good source. Legumes and poultry can be decent sources. Enriched breads don't have a ton, but the little they have adds up, so if you buy bread at the store, look for that word - "enriched" - on the label.

    A lot of veggies have a good deal of iron on them, but since our bodies cannot use it, it does us no good. Spinach has a great rep for being high in iron, but is actually not a good source of iron at all.

    Vitamin C is a big helper with absorbing the iron, so get your Vitamin C!

    Also, cooking in cast iron is very helpful if you want to increase your iron intake. It's also really good cookware...and cheap. :)
  • christietine
    christietine Posts: 3 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your input
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
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    I'm a regular blood donor and must take an iron-specific supplement otherwise my haemoglobin and ferritin stores drop too low.
  • JillStepanik
    JillStepanik Posts: 13 Member
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    I'm actually a Registered Dietitan... take either an iron pill or increase your intake of the iron rich foods people have posted. When you do either one, make sure to eat/drink something with vitamin C in it too (take the vitamin with orange juice or put some tomatoes/tomato sauce on some meat) because vitamin C increases the absorption of iron.

    Hope this helps!

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