Got IRON? Guide to Iron Rich Foods

The amount and type of iron in your diet is critical. The majority of the iron found in the human body is found in one of two proteins, known as myoglobin in the muscle cells and haemoglobin in the red blood cells.

Iron’s central role is within the haemoglobin molecule, which is the red pigment in your blood.

Haemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body and for carrying carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs.

All cells within the body need oxygen to be able to produce energy, so it is vital in supporting life.

The iron found in haemoglobin has a very important role - it contains chemicals that tell it when to release oxygen as well as how much to release, ensuring all the cells in the body obtain what they need.

Haemoglobin, with its iron content, is also responsible for eliminating hydrogen atoms and carbon that are released by the body when it uses carbohydrates.

This is why it is important to have enough iron in the body if you take part in high levels of exercise, because as your body creates more carbon dioxide (CO2), the iron in the haemoglobin eliminates the CO2 and brings fresh new oxygen to the muscles.

Iron also has numerous other functions.

It is essential for:

Regulation of cell growth and differentiation
Hormone control
Amino acid synthesis
Formation of neurotransmitters
Enzymes that are involved in energy production and metabolism
Enzymes that rid the body of toxins
DNA synthesis
After iron has been absorbed from food in your intestines, it is transported to the body’s tissues by a protein called transferrin.

Transferrin is a protein found inside cells that stores iron so that your body can use it later.

The body contains between 3mg and 4mg of iron, of which 60-70% is circulating iron and the rest is stored in the bone marrow, spleen and liver.

The amount of ferritin in your blood (your serum ferritin level - ferritin is a blood cell protein containing iron) is directly related to the amount of iron stored in the body.

The best way to determine your own iron stores is by laboratory testing of your serum ferritin levels.



How Much Iron Do You Need?
Our need for iron varies throughout life. Children’s iron requirements are high, as iron is essential for strong muscles and production of blood.

Iron requirements are greater in women of childbearing age and during pregnancy than post–menopausal women.

Men typically need less iron than women and deficiencies in men are uncommon.

Foods that are rich in Iron are:

Seafood- Shrimp, Clams, Scallops, Oysters, Tuna, Sardines, Haddock, Mackeral

Vegetables- Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Broccoli, String Beans, Beet Greens, Dandelion Greens, Collards, Kale, Chard

Bread & Cereals- White Bread,Whole Wheat Bread, Enriched Pasta, Wheat Products, Corn Meal, Oat Cereal, Cream of Wheat, Rye Bread, Enriched Rice

 Fruit- Strawberries, Watermelon, Raisins, Dates, Figs, Prunes, Prune Juice, Dried Apricots, Dried Peaches

 Beans & Other Foods- Tofu, Beans (Kidney, Garbanzo, or White, Canned), Tomato Products (e.g. paste), Dried Peas, Dried Beans, Lentils, Instant Breakfast Items, Corn Syrup, Maple Syrup, Molasses