You might think of meat when it comes to iron, but a bunch of veggies have it too! Just keep an eye out for foods that are packed with this mineral.
So, iron is a metal that can rust if it’s in a humid place and exposed to air. It’s super common, especially in the fourth season (whatever that means), and usually hangs out with other stuff. Iron is actually a mineral that our bodies really need. We’ve got about 3-4 grams of it in us, and most of it helps with metabolism and stuff. A whopping 85% of it is in hemoglobin, which is the protein that carries oxygen around our bodies.
The iron in hemoglobin is crucial because it binds to oxygen. The rest of the iron in our bodies is stored and transported around.
Iron gets stored in a protein called ferritin, which you can find in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. Transferrin is the protein that helps move iron around in our bodies. Iron is also key for our immune system and helps our enzymes, neurotransmitters, and organs like the spleen, liver, intestines, and bone marrow do their thing.
When it comes to food, iron comes in two forms: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal products, while non-heme iron is in plant foods like beans, nuts, and leafy greens. The body doesn’t absorb trivalent iron (that’s the non-heme kind) very well, but pairing it with vitamin C can help boost absorption. Ferrous iron is the most easily absorbed type.
Some things can mess with how well we absorb iron, like polyphenols in coffee, tea, and red wine, and phytic acid in grains, legumes, and dried fruits. If you don’t get enough iron, you might feel weak, irritable, or just plain tired.
Iron: How Much Do You Need?
According to the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU), adult men should aim for about 10 mg of iron a day, while women need around 18 mg, especially since they lose some during their monthly cycle. Some women might need up to 27 mg. It can be tricky to hit those numbers, especially for women, since iron absorption can vary from 10% to 35%. For example, you could get about 30 mg of iron from 100 grams of foie gras, but since not all the iron in food is absorbed, you might want to pair it with something like 100 grams of red beans (which has about 9 mg) and some spinach with lemon juice for dinner.
Iron-Rich Foods
As you’d expect, legumes and liver are loaded with iron, but there are plenty of other options too. Contrary to what some people think, you can find a lot of iron in plant foods as well. Just remember, animal foods usually have the most absorbable iron because they contain heme iron.
Here’s a quick list of 16 foods that are rich in iron:
- Dried thyme
- Heart
- Oysters
- Cocoa butter
- Morel and shiitake mushrooms
- Pumpkin seeds
- Amaranth
- Oats
- Iron-rich veggies
- Beans
- Anarchists (not sure what this means, maybe a typo?)
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pine nuts
- Chia seeds
- Dried figs
So, there you go! Load up on these foods to keep your iron levels up!
