Iron

What is iron?

The body needs iron in the diet to produce haemoglobin (a substance in red blood cells) to carry oxygen around the body. If you don’t eat enough iron you may feel weak, tired and irritable.

There are two forms of dietary iron – heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meat, fish and poultry. The body can easily absorb heme sources of iron.

Non-heme iron is found in plant-based sources such as vegetables, cereals, beans and lentils, but is not well absorbed by the body.

How much iron do we need?

Men (19-70+): 8 mg/day

Women (19-50): 18 mg/day

Women (Over 50): 8 mg/day

Who needs higher amounts of iron and why?

Babies, children and teenagers need more iron due to rapid growth.

Girls and women who have periods need more iron due to monthly blood loss.

Pregnant women need enough iron for themselves and their growing baby.

Athletes need more iron, particularly endurance runners.

Haem Iron Sources

Foods containing Haem Iron:

1 grilled lean beef steak (173 g, 6.1 oz): 5.8 mg

½ cup green mussels: 7.5 mg

2 grilled lean lamb steaks (116 g, 4 oz): 4 mg

90g, 3.1 oz, can salmon: 2.1mg

1 grilled chicken breast (107g, 3.7 oz): 2 mg

Foods containing non-haem Iron

100g (3.5 oz) Tofu: 5.4 mg

1 cup porridge: 1.3 mg

½ cup cooked red kidney beans: 2 mg

½ cup cooked boiled lentils: 1.2 mg

½ cup fruity muesli: 1.9 mg

½ cup baked beans: 0.9 mg

1 cup boiled broccoli: 0.9 mg

½ cup baked beans: 1.6 mg

1 cup boiled spinach: 2.5 mg

1 boiled egg: 0.9 mg

1 slice multigrain bread: 0.7 mg

Tips on how to get enough iron:

• Lean red meat is the most easily absorbed source of haem iron
• Chicken, pork and fish are good sources of haem iron
• Try to eat vitamin-C rich foods (eg kiwifruit, orange juice, capsicums) at the same time in meals - this will help to increase iron absorption
• Combine haem and non-haem iron sources together. For example, add a salad to a lean meat sandwich – this will increase the iron absorption from the bread and salad
• If you don’t eat meat and fish, try to include iron rich, or iron fortified foods such as tofu, iron fortified cereals and cooked lentils in your diet.
• Tea reduces iron absorption. Drink tea between meals or at least ½ - 1 hour after meals.

In general, you should be able to get enough iron from the food you eat and therefore not be deficient. The only true way to know if a deficiency exists is to have a blood test. Low iron stores in the body can result in anemia and may require the use of a supplement. However, you should always consult your medical practitioner before self prescribing supplements.