Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for many functions, including oxygen transport and storage, blood sugar conversion to energy, immune system support, and the maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and nails. It is also required for the production of blood. Around 70% of your body’s iron is found in red blood cells called hemoglobin and muscle cells called myoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that transports oxygen to organs and tissues and carbon dioxide from organs and tissues back to the lungs. About 6% of the body’s iron is present in proteins necessary for respiration and energy metabolism, as well as enzymes involved in collagen and neurotransmitter synthesis.
When your body’s iron stores are depleted due to a lack of iron in your diet, you will feel fatigued, and your immunity will be weakened. Consuming iron-rich foods and cooking in an iron pan can help prevent or treat mild iron deficiency. The body processes and absorbs iron from different foods differently; iron in meat is more easily absorbed than iron in grains and vegetables. Minerals and compounds in one type of food can interfere with iron absorption from a different kind of food consumed simultaneously. Oxalates and phytic acid, for example, generate insoluble complexes in the gut, preventing iron absorption.
Vegetarians and vegans should have a slightly greater total daily iron intake than individuals who eat meat, fish, or poultry since iron from plant sources is less readily absorbed than heme-bound iron from animal sources. Vegetarians and vegans can receive plenty of iron from legumes and dark-green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Asian greens. Spinach and Swiss chard, on the other hand, contain oxalates, which bind iron and make it nearly impossible to absorb.
Iron Sources
Heme-iron is the most easily absorbed form of iron and is not blocked by medication or other dietary components, making it a good supply of dietary iron. Red meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood are four examples. Although non-heme sources contain iron, it has a lower bioavailability. Lentils, beans, leafy vegetables, tofu, chickpeas, chocolate, potato, green peas, cashew nuts, fortified bread, and fortified breakfast cereals are examples of non-heme iron.
Foods High In Iron
| Food | Milligram (mg) per 100 grams | Percent DV |
| Duck Liver | 30.53 mg | 170% |
| Clam | 28 mg | 155% |
| Pork Liver | 18 mg | 100% |
| Cocoa Powder | 13.9 mg | 77 % |
| Morel Mushrooms | 12.18 mg | 66 % |
| Lamb kidney | 12 mg | 66% |
| Octopus | 9.5 mg | 53% |
| Liverwurst | 8.85 mg | 49% |
| Natto | 8.60 mg | 48 % |
| Hemp Seed | 7.95 mg | 44 % |
| Goji Berries | 6.80 mg | 38 % |
| Cashew | 6.68 mg | 37% |
| Beef liver | 6.5 mg | 36% |
| Oysters | 5.78 mg | 32 % |
| Flaxseed | 5.73 mg | 32 % |
| Lean Beef Steak | 5.46 mg | 30 % |
| Whelk | 5.03 mg | 28 % |
| Hazelnuts | 4.70 mg | 26 % |
Iron Recommended Intakes
The amount of iron you need each day depends on your age and gender, but it is recommended that adult men get 8 mg, and women should take 18 milligrams per day. Pregnant women necessitate a slightly higher iron intake of 27 mg per day.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) For Iron
| Age | Male | Female |
| Birth to 6 months | 0.27 mg | 0.27 mg |
| 7–12 months | 11 mg | 11 mg |
| 1–3 years | 7 mg | 7 mg |
| 4–8 years | 10 mg | 10 mg |
| 9–13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
| 14–18 years | 11 mg | 15 mg |
| 19–50 years | 8 mg | 18 mg |
| 51+ years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency is a very common health issue. Menstruating women, pregnant women, lactating women, female athletes, babies, and teenage girls are high-risk groups. It can be caused by a lack of iron in the diet, chronic blood loss, pregnancy, vigorous exercise, or an inability to absorb iron due to an intestinal disorder, such as celiac disease, which impairs your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from digested food. Without treatment, a person with insufficient iron in their diet will develop iron deficiency anemia.
There may be no signs or symptoms in people who have mild or moderate iron deficiency anemia. However, if left untreated, iron deficiency anemia can become severe and lead to a variety of health problems, such as increased susceptibility to infections, rapid or irregular heartbeat, heart failure, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, premature births, low birth weight babies, and delayed growth and development in infants.
Iron Toxicity
The danger of iron overload from dietary sources is relatively low in adults with normal intestinal function. Excessive iron intakes of more than 20 mg/kg from supplements, on the other hand, can cause abdominal pain, nausea, severe vomiting, dehydration, constipation, and bloody vomit or stool. High iron intake can also reduce zinc absorption and plasma zinc concentrations. Iron overdoses can cause multisystem organ failure, coma, and even death in the most severe cases.
