Up Your Intake Of Iron

If you’ve noticed recently, that you get annoyed easily, then this might be a sign, that you are lacking a certain mineral – iron. If you are constantly having headaches, and you are feeling weak, these are also signs, that you should increase the amount of iron-rich foods you eat.

The iron, that is contained in red meat, liver and eggs is easier to absorb by your body than the one found in grains and vegetables. The body will also regulate the amount it absorbs according to its needs. If you are lacking iron, you will absorb a huge percentage of it.

People leading a certain lifestyle should take more iron than the average person.

By default, women should take more iron than men. Iron is commonly found in your blood, and every time you are in menstruation, you lose a lot of iron.

If you are pregnant, you should consume even more of the right foods. The child inside you also needs iron, and you need go get enough iron for the both of you.

Strict vegetarians should also monitor their iron intake closely. As we already said, the iron that comes from vegetables and grains is harder to absorb than the one in red meat for example. This means that vegetarians should consume plenty of vegetables to make up for that. Of course, grains are also a good source of iron for vegetarians, but they have a lot of calories, and they come from the wrong source – carbs.

Here are some tips on how to increase your iron intake:

- Make sure you include eggs, meat and/or liver in your diet.

- If you are a vegetarian, include some food rich on Vitamin C – tomatoes or lemons for example. They will increase the absorption.

- Avoid drinking tea or coffee while eating any iron-rich food. It will cripple the absorption.

- Calcium also prevents the iron from absorbing. Because of that, avoid combining an iron-rich food with a dairy product. If you are taking additional vitamins, make sure that you are not taking calcium and iron together. The least you can do is take the vitamin after another meal.

- Some scientists believe that it is best to cook in metal dishes. A small amount of iron is absorbed from the dish by the food.

To sum up: the best sources of iron are as follows: meat, eggs, liver, grains, vegetables and lentils. Sesame seeds are also a wonderful source of iron.