Iron

Iron is an important mineral that is required for healthy blood, oxygen distribution throughout the body, energy production and immune system support. Your body stores iron well and recycles it from old red blood cells.

Iron Food Sources

You can add iron to your green smoothies by adding lots of leafy greens such as spinach. I make chocolate-flavored green smoothies using Sunfood brand cacao nibs which have 314% recommended daily allowance (RDA) of iron per 1 ounce serving!

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency causes anemia. Symptoms include fatigue and weakness, hair loss, dizziness, inability to concentrate, apathy, depression, brittle nails and susceptibility to infections.

Vitamin C supports iron absorption, so it is important to consume foods rich with vitamin C with foods high in iron.

Iron Toxicity

Large amounts of iron can be lethal to children and can damage cells in the heart, liver and other organs.

The Effects of Cooking On Iron

Cooking, processing and storage is not known to affect the availability of iron in food, although boiling can significantly reduce iron as it is leached into the water.

Getting Enough Iron On A Vegetarian/Vegan Diet

Typically, adult men and post menopausal women are advised to get 8 mg (milligrams) of iron daily. Adult, pre-menopausal women need 18mg of iron per day. Vegetarians and vegans require a higher dietary intake of iron due to the difference in bio-availability of animal-sourced and plant-sourced iron.

An adult male following a vegetarian diet should consume about 14 mg of iron daily while vegetarian, pre-menopausal women should strive for 33 mg daily. These figures are based on recommendations set in 2000 by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences.

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Tags: iron, nutrients