Diet for Iron: Foods high in Iron

Iron is a mineral that is essential for maintaining good health.Iron does many functions in the body with transport of oxygen being on the top of the list. The following are other functions of Iron in our body:

1. Integral part of many proteins and enzymes

2. Good cell growth and differentiation

3. Part of haemoglobin, the blood pigment which transport oxygen to different parts of the body

Deficient of iron in the body leads to poor oxygen circulation which results in weakness, fatigue, and reduced work performance. It also results in reduced immunity( ability to fight disease). Excess amount of iron is also bad for the body because it can cause toxicity and even death.For healthy individuals, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron is listed in the following table.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron by age and sex.
Age/Group	Life Stage	Iron (mg/day)
Infants	0–6 months	0.27*
	7–12 months	11
Children	1–3 years	7
	4–8 years	10
Males	9–13 years	8
	14–18 years	11
	19–30 years	8
	31–50 years	8
	51–70 years	8
	>70 years	8
Females	9–13 years	8
	14–18 years	15
	19–30 years	18
	31–50 years	18
	51–70 years	8
	>70 years	8
Pregnant Women	14–18 years	27
	19–30 years	27
	31–50 years	27
Lactating Women	14–18 years	10
	19–30 years	9
	31–50 years	9

Table source:http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html

Iron come two sources from our diet, heme and non heme. Heme comes from the blood in the red meats, poultry, fish and other animal foods. Non heme comes from plant sources such as spinach, beans and lentils.Studies have that heme iron is absorbed by the body better than non heme. Here is a list of foods that are rich in heme and non heme.

Heme iron foods:

Mollusks Clams/Mussels/Oysters)
100 g of mollusks have 28 mg of iron. Men need 28 gms of m0llusks and women need 64 gms of mollusks per day.

Liver(Chicken/Pork/Beef/Turkey/Lamb/Goat)

Mussels
Oysters
Chicken
Salmon/Tuna/Halibut
Ham
Veal

Non Heme Iron foods:

Breakfast cereal
Wheatgerm
Tofu
Cooked beans
Potato
Apricots
Nuts

Sources:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron/
http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php