Environmental Nutrition: Pump up the iron

Forms of iron

Dietary iron can be either heme (from animal-based foods including meat, poultry, fish, and eggs) or nonheme (from plant-based foods like legumes, whole grains, spinach, dark chocolate and fortified foods). Although nonheme iron is the more abundant form in the food supply, the body more readily absorbs heme iron. Therefore, you can more easily increase iron levels by consuming more heme iron from foods such as steak, shellfish, lamb and pork.

“People can improve their absorption of iron from plant foods by pairing them with foods high in vitamin C such as strawberries, citrus fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables like collard greens and broccoli,” notes Stefanski. That’s why an investigation in the British Journal of Nutrition found that women who ate iron-fortified cereal with kiwi fruit, which is especially rich in vitamin C, were able to raise their iron levels.

Also, research shows that fermentation can improve the nutrient bioavailability of plant foods by reducing levels of compounds like phytates that can hinder iron absorption. So, tempeh, which is fermented soy, could be a better source of iron than non-fermented tofu.

Certain cereal grains in the millet family including sorghum and teff have been shown to help people raise their hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels, suggesting that some whole grains are higher in iron than others, and perhaps more of us would benefit by consuming a greater variety of grains than just wheat or rice. And you can experiment sweetening foods and drinks with molasses since this is surprisingly fairly high in non-heme iron.

Should you take a supplement?

If a blood test reveals you have an inadequate ferritin count (ferritin is a blood cell protein that binds with iron), you’ll most likely be instructed by your physician to take a supplement to get levels up to where they should be. It is very challenging to overcome a deficiency through diet alone. But since having too much iron in the body can be just as problematic as not having enough, Stefanski explains that it’s important to not initiate supplementation without instruction from a knowledgeable health care provider.

Humans have a limited capacity to eliminate excess iron, so excess levels can build up in your organs and cause damage. You should know that it is difficult for iron overload to occur from diet alone unless you have a genetic propensity to absorb too much, a condition called hereditary hemochromatosis.

(Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com.)