Eating Your Iron

Laura Reasor

When discussing human health, iron status is an important factor. Iron is a mineral that supports

metabolism, growth, and immunity. It is also a component of hemoglobin and myoglobin, which are

responsible for the transportation of oxygen within the body.

There are two forms of dietary iron, which include heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron

comes from meat and other animal sources, whereas non-heme iron comes from plant and iron-fortified

foods. Foods rich in heme iron include chicken and beef liver, oysters, beef, tuna, and eggs. Foods rich in

non-heme iron include peanut butter, spinach, lentils, beans, instant oatmeal, and whole wheat bread.

Combining non-heme iron foods with Vitamin C-rich foods increase the absorption of iron.

Around half of all anemia cases are due to iron deficiency, which has the potential to be fatal.

The World Health Organization considers iron-deficiency anemia to be the most common nutritional

deficiency. Iron fortification of wheat flour has proven to be a practical approach to increasing iron

intake. Infants, young children, and females who are in adolescence, who are athletes, pregnant,

premenopausal, or with heavy menstrual periods have the greatest risk for iron deficiency. Children and

pregnant women are the most vulnerable because of their increased nutrient needs. Iron-deficiency

anemia increases the risk of low birth weight infants. Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia may include

fatigue, pale skin and fingernails, weakness, dizziness, headache, or swollen tongue.

More nutritional information on iron can be found online at www.eatright.org.