Iron by Angela Poch, NC

Iron Info Sheet

Iron Energy needed For LIFe, needed For

status of long-term vegetarian women. American

IntroduCtIon Journal of Clinical Nutrition v34 (6) p. 1042-1048
Iron is the blood builder. It is vital in creating Draper, A. & Wheeler, E. (1989). The diet and
hemoglobin, which keeps your blood full of oxygen. food choice of vegetarians in Greater London. Centre
This in turn gives you energy and a healthy skin of Human Nutrition, London.
color. When iron levels get low, you start to feel
tired because of the lack of oxygen Dairy & Iron
delivered to organs and
The erroneous message of drinking milk to
tissues. See “What About
increase your iron is not only a myth, less than
Anemia” for more info.
0.08mg of iron per serving, but is injurious especially
to infants (not breast milk). A significant number of
hoW muCh do babies have blood in their stool if fed milk before 4
W e n e e d? 1/2 months old and toddlers with high milk intake are
at risk for iron deficiency and excessive caloric intake.
Sixty to seventy Milk, or rather casein (found in cheese too), inhibits
percent of the iron iron absorption from good iron sources.
in our body is found
in the blood hemoglobin.
Your body’s total iron is about 3 to 4 grams, Sources - Isn’t meat the best source?
not much more than a small nail. Also, the body There are two forms of iron. Haem iron, found
recycles much of the iron from cells when they are in animal tissue, and non-haem iron found in plants.
broken down. So how much do we need? Your body can use both!
The RDA & RNI recommends: Meat is one of the most available sources of iron,
14-25mg for women; 9-14mg for men, 11 to 15mg when it is cooked lightly and fresh, but there are health
for teenagers, and 6 to 9mg for children. implications with improperly cooked meat. Meat has
a 10 to 35% absorption rate, while plant foods range
Iron absorPtIon Issues from 2 to 20%. That dramatic range comes from the
phytates, which reduce absorption, and Vit C, which
Some foods are reported to block the absorption increases absorption, as mentioned before.
of iron. These include coffee, tea, egg yolks, and Vegetarians who omit beans from their diet
milk. Some vegetables, like spinach, that are high should keep an eye on their iron levels and sources.
in oxalates have been reported to be iron absorption
inhibitors, however other research suggest this is so
limited it is of little concern. See ** under sources.
Likewise some foods help aid the absorption of
iron. Eating foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus
fruits or bell peppers, at the same time you eat iron-
rich foods can help your body absorb the iron better.
Most vegetarians eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
and on average get more vitamin C, thus are able
to absorb more iron from plant foods. This explains
why vegetarians do not get iron deficiency any more
than the general population, as found in numerous
studies across the globe, such as:
Anderson, B., et. al. (1981). The iron and zinc e Studio
aphs © 2008 Sett
A ll photogr
r h e a Lt h .

Sources for Iron Tahini 2 Tbsp 2.7 mg

*Applesauce (cooked in cast iron) 100g 7.4 mg Peas, cooked 1 cup 2.5 mg
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6 mg Cashews 1/4 cup 2.1 mg
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4 mg Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 1.7 mg
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 6.3 mg Raisins 1/2 cup 1.6 mg
Tofu (about 1/3 cup) 4 ounces 6.0 mg Soy Milk 1 cup 1.6 mg
Great Northern beans 1 cup 5.0 mg Almonds 1/4 cup 1.5 mg
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.4 mg Most raw berries 1 cup 1.3 mg
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0 mg Green beans, cooked 1 cup 1.2 mg
Prune juice 6 ounces 4.0 mg Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 1.2 mg
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6 mg Soy yogurt 6 ounces 1.1 mg
Blackstrap molasses 1 Tbsp 3.6 mg Tomato juice 8 ounces 1.0 mg
Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 3.5 mg Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp 1.0 mg
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 3.2 mg Banana large 1.0 mg
Potato 1 large 3.2 mg Brown rice 1 cup 1.0 mg
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.0 mg Whole wheat bread 1 slice 0.8 mg
Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 2.7 mg Enriched Pasta varies see package
*Cooked in Cast Iron see over

W h at a b o u t a n e m I a?

Fatigue, looking pale, weakness, shortness of breath, headaches, light headedness, cold hands and
feet, brittle nails, unusual cravings for ice or dirt, poor appetite are all symptoms associated with iron
deficiency and anemia.
The Mayo Clinic states 1 in 5 women are iron deficient, and of course most of them are omnivores
not vegetarians. Lack of iron in the diet is the most common cause of iron deficiency, but there are a few
others as well. Excessive menstrual periods, ulcers, tumors, colon polyps, or other internal bleeding can
also cause anemia.
The clinic also states: “You can be mildly deficient in iron and not develop anemia. Iron deficiency
leads to anemia when the body lacks sufficient iron to make adequate hemoglobin. Without enough
hemoglobin, your red blood cells are smaller and paler than normal, and they can’t carry adequate oxygen to
your tissues.” Without oxygen you feel tired and can have many of the above symptoms.
The body stores iron in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and muscles. You can get low iron stores and
not necessarily have anemia, but you need those stores. (Especially pre-menopausal women.) Some of the
tests your doctor can do: hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron, red blood cells (RBC), ferritin, transferrin, total
iron binding capacity (TIBC) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MHC).
W h at a b o u t C a s t I r o n Natural sources of iron are available
Pa n s? in the careful vegan’s diet.
Yes, you do get iron from using cast
iron pans. Just a few comparisons:
Food tested Amount in Raw After Cooked
100g in Cast iron
applesauce .35mg 7.38mg
spaghetti sauce .61mg 5.77mg
spanish rice .87mg 2.25mg
pancakes .63mg 1.31mg

Basically foods high in acid pull the

iron out of the cast iron skillet or dutch
oven. This is ONLY for cast iron, and the
effect can be lessened over time with very
old cookware. It is safe and usable iron,
a lot better for you than cast aluminium
which is harmful to ingest.

RefeRences
** http://www ncbi.nlm nih.gov/pubmed/17440529
Dr. Thrash, Counselling Sheets “Iron”

100% Natural!
The Journal of Pediatrics 98 (4):540, April 1981
Vincent Iannelli, M.D., “Risks of Drinking Too Much

100% Good!
Milk” About.com
Mayo Clinic “ Iron Deficiency Anemia” Dec 2008
Office of Dietary Supplements, “Dietary Supplement
Fact Sheet: Iron”
Virginia Tech, “Iron: Build Strong Blood”, Publication
348-371
Nutraingredients.com, “New facts about iron in meat.”
November 21, 2003
Journal of Health & Healing, Vol. 19, Number 1
“Sources of Iron Column.”
Ohio State University, Chow Line: Cast-iron cookware
great for nutrition (for 11/9/03) Fo r more InFo sheets:
Go Ask Alice “Does cooking with cast iron pots and
pans add iron to our food?” Published: March 28, 2003 3988 Galloway Frt Rd •
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