Iron - what is all the fuss about?
What is iron?
Iron is the fourth most abundant element on the planet -
so why do we hear so much about people not getting enough
iron? What is all the fuss about?
Why do you need iron?
Most of the iron in your body is used to make haemoglobin.
Iron is vital because it enables haemoglobin to carry oxygen
around the body. Haemoglobin is the substance that makes your
red blood cells red. It is bright red when it has a full load
of oxygen, but turns a bluish colour when it has off-loaded
its oxygen to cells round your body. This is why the blood
going from your lungs out to your body (in your arteries)
is bright red, and the blood coming back (in your veins) has
a bluish tinge (have a look at the veins on the back of your
hand, or on your wrist). Iron that is not being used is stored.
What happens if you don’t get enough iron?
If you don’t get enough iron in your diet to keep up
with the amount you are using, or losing, then the body cannot
make enough haemoglobin and you become anaemic. In fact, your
doctor decides whether you are anaemic or not by measuring
how much haemoglobin you have in your blood.
The symptoms of anaemia include tiredness, lack of concentration,
and in extreme cases, breathlessness - all those things you’d
expect if your body could not get enough oxygen. There are
many different causes of anaemia, but iron deficiency is the
most common cause in the UK. For most people, iron deficiency
anaemia can be treated with iron supplements, although some
people may need extra treatment to decrease the amount of
iron they lose.
Who is most at risk of iron deficiency?
- Infants, young children and adolescents - because they
are growing so fast
- Women of child-bearing age - because iron is lost during
menstruation
- Pregnant women - because they are supplying iron to the
growing infant
- People who eat diets that are low in iron (for instance
some vegetarians)
What happens if you get too much iron?
Most people’s digestive systems control the amount of
iron they absorb so that when their iron stores are high,
and they do not need as much, they absorb very little iron.
However, some people’s genetic makeup means that they
do not control the amount of iron they absorb very well (about
1 in 200 people). The extra iron may build up in organs such
as the liver and heart and cause liver and heart disease.
This condition is called haemochromatosis. Luckily, once it
has been detected, most people can be successfully treated
for haemochromatosis by making regular blood donations to
remove the extra iron. Huge intakes of iron can flood the
body’s absorption control system even in people who usually
control their iron absorption well. It is important to keep
iron tablets out of the reach of children, for instance, because
a number of young children have died after mistaking iron
tablets for sweets.
Where do you get iron from?
Meat and fish are good sources of iron
that is easily absorbed:
| 1 slice (40 g) | Liver, fried | 3.0 mg iron | | 1 medium (144 g) | Steak, grilled | 4.3 mg iron | | 1 large (40 g) | Beef sausage, grilled | 0.7 mg iron | | 1 (140 g) | Pork pie | 2.0 mg iron | | 1 (47 g) | Chicken drumstick, roasted | 0.4 mg iron |
Many other foods are also good sources
of iron, but it is not as easily absorbed:
| 2 tablespoons (80 g) | Baked beans | 1.1 mg iron | | 1 medium slice (36 g) | Wholemeal bread | 1.0 mg iron | | 1 medium slice (36 g) | White bread | 0.6 mg iron | | 2 (33 g) | Weetabix | 2.4 mg iron | | 1 medium portion (30 g) | Cornflakes | 2.0 mg iron | | 6 (60 g) | Prunes | 1.6 mg iron |
An average iron intake of at least the following is needed by:
-
toddlers (1-3 years) 3.7mg
-
young children (4-6 years) 3.3mg
-
older children (7-10 years) 4.7mg
-
teenage girls (11-18 years) 8.0mg
-
teenage boys 6.1mg
-
adult men 4.7mg
-
adult menstruating women 8.0mg
The amount of iron in foods is important, but so is the form
of the iron and the other foods that are eaten in the same
meal. These affect the amount of iron that can be absorbed
by the gut. The best source of iron is red meat, as much of
the iron is in a form that the body can easily absorb. Some
plant foods, such as beans and lentils, also contain a lot
of iron, but the body does not absorb this iron as well. Many
breakfast cereals have iron added to them, but this iron may
not be well absorbed. Some foods help the body to absorb iron
from other foods eaten at the same meal. These include fruit
and vegetables, and fruit juices. Other substances (such as
tannins and phytate) combine with iron in the gut, making
it much harder for the body to absorb it. These are found
in a range of foods, including tea and coffee, and peas, beans
and lentils.
Issued by:
Communications Office
Institute of Food Research
Norwich Research Park
Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1603 255328
Fax: +44 (0) 1603 255168
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.ifr.ac.uk
03.02 
 The
information and images contained within these pages are ©
Institute of Food Research unless otherwise stated. Information
may be downloaded for educational and research purposes as
long as the source is clearly credited.
Another website below: http://www.hoptechno.com/bookfoodsourceFE.htm
Food Sources of Iron ranked by milligrams of iron per standard amount; also
calories in the standard amount. (All are >- 10% of RDA for teen and adult
females, which is 18 mg/day.)
| Food, Standard Amount |
Iron (mg) |
Calories | | Clams, canned, drained, 3 oz |
23.8 |
126 | | Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (various), ~ 1 oz |
1.8 -21.1 |
54-127 | | Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat, 3 oz |
10.2 |
116 | | Organ meats (liver, giblets), various, cooked, 3 oz a |
5.2-9.9 |
134-235 | | Fortified instant cooked cereals (various), 1 packet |
4.9-8.1 |
Varies | | Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup |
4.4 |
149 | | Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, 1 oz |
4.2 |
148 | | White beans, canned, ½ cup |
3.9 |
153 | | Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp |
3.5 |
47 | | Lentils, cooked, ½ cup |
3.3 |
115 | | Spinach, cooked from fresh, ½ cup |
3.2 |
21 | | Beef, chuck, blade roast, lean, cooked, 3 oz |
3.1 |
215 | | Beef, bottom round, lean, 0” fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz |
2.8 |
182 | | Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.6 |
112 | | Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 3 oz |
2.5 |
177 | | Beef, rib, lean, ¼” fat, all grades, 3 oz |
2.4 |
195 | | Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
2.4 |
134 | | Duck, meat only, roasted, 3 oz |
2.3 |
171 | | Lamb, shoulder, arm, lean, ¼ ” fat, choice, cooked, 3 oz |
2.3 |
237 | | Prune juice, ¾ cup |
2.3 |
136 | | Shrimp, canned, 3 oz |
2.3 |
102 | | Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
100 | | Ground beef, 15% fat, cooked, 3 oz |
2.2 |
212 | | Tomato puree, ½ cup |
2.2 |
48 | | Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
108 | | Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup |
2.2 |
127 | | Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup |
2.1 |
127 | | Refried beans, ½ cup |
2.1 |
118 | | Beef, top sirloin, lean, 0” fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz |
2.0 |
156 | | Tomato paste, ¼ cup |
2.0 |
54 |
What are some iron-rich foods?
Meat, fish, poultry:
The body absorbs the most iron from meat, fish and poultry (chicken).
The amount of iron, in milligrams (mg), that is found in these foods is
listed below:
- Very good sources (3.5 mg or more per serving):
- Three ounces of beef or chicken liver.
- Three ounces of clams or mollusks.
- Three ounces of oysters.
- Good sources (2.1 mg or more per serving):
- Three ounces of cooked beef (ground or steak).
- Three ounces of canned sardines (canned in oil).
- Three ounces of cooked turkey.
- Other sources (0.7 mg or more per serving):
- Three ounces of chicken.
- Three ounces of halibut, haddock, perch, salmon, and tuna.
- Three ounces of pork (ham).
- Three ounces of veal.
Other iron-rich foods:
Other foods also contain iron, but your body does not absorb the iron
from these foods as well. To increase iron absorption (ab-SORP-shun)
from the following foods, eat a good source of Vitamin C at the same time . Eating a food from the meat, fish, and poultry group at the same time will also increase iron absorption. The amount of iron that is found in these foods is listed below:
- Very good sources (3.5 mg or more):
- Breakfast cereals enriched with iron (see food label for serving size).
- One cup of cooked beans (white beans, soybeans, lentils or chickpeas).
- One-half of a cup of tofu.
- One ounce of pumpkin, sesame, or squash seeds.
- Good sources (2.1 mg or more):
- One-half cup of canned lima, red kidney beans, chickpeas or split peas.
- One cup of dried apricots.
- One medium baked potato.
- One medium stalk of broccoli.
- One cup of cooked enriched egg noodles.
- One-fourth of a cup of wheat germ.
- Other sources (0.7 mg or more):
- One ounce of peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, roasted almonds, roasted cashews, or sunflower seeds.
- One-half of a cup of dried seedless raisins, peaches, or prunes.
- One cup of spinach.
- One medium green pepper.
- One cup of pasta.
- One slice of bread, pumpernickel bagel, or bran muffin.
- One cup of rice.
What are good sources of vitamin C?
Eating a source of vitamin C with (non-meat) iron-rich foods can help
your body to absorb more iron. Some foods that are good sources of
vitamin C are listed below:
- Fruits:
- One cup of fresh orange juice (124 mg).
- One cup of raw strawberries (98 mg).
- One cup of pink grapefruit juice (94 mg)
- One orange (70 mg).
- One cup of cantaloupe (59 mg).
- One-half of a grapefruit (39 mg).
- Vegetables:
- One cup of sweet, red, raw peppers (283 mg).
- One cups of fresh boiled broccoli (101 mg).
- One cup of cooked brussel sprouts (97 mg).
- One cup of cooked peas (77 mg).
- One cup of cooked cauliflower (55 mg)
- One cup of tomato juice (44 mg).
What foods decrease the amount of iron that your body absorbs from foods?
- There are certain foods that keep your body from
absorbing iron from iron-rich foods. These foods include coffee and
tea, high-fiber foods and soy products (tofu, soybeans). To increase
the absorption of iron in your foods, do the following:
- Drink coffee and tea separately from meals that contain iron-rich foods.
- Eat high-fiber foods and soy products with a good source of vitamin
C to increase the absorption of iron. You can also eat high-fiber foods
and soy products with meat, fish, or poultry (chicken) to increase iron
absorption.
What other diet guidelines should I follow?
- Food that is cooked in iron skillets or pots, steel woks and steel cookware may add extra iron to foods.
- Include iron-rich foods in your diet every day to increase your
blood iron level. Ask your caregiver how much iron you or your child
needs each day.
- Limit the amount of cow's milk and juice that you give to children
between one and three years old. Children only need about 24 ounces of
milk each day. When children drink too much milk and juice, they may
eat less iron-rich solid foods. This may cause them to have a low level
of iron in their blood.
- Feed your child iron-rich foods that will not cause your child to
choke. Iron-rich nuts and seeds may cause children under the age of
five years to choke.
Risks:
- Not including iron-rich foods in your diet every
day may cause your iron levels to decrease. This may lead to
iron-deficiency anemia, especially during periods when your body needs
extra iron.
- Iron deficiency anemia may cause problems with your child's growth
and development. If you have iron deficiency anemia, you may have other
health problems. It may take longer for you or your child to increase
your blood iron level if you do not follow an iron-rich diet.
http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/cnoteShowLfts.asp?fname=02039&title=IRON+RICH+DIET+&cid=HTHLTH
 |
Information 
Subscribe to this comment's feed