Iron is one of the essential minerals regarding the health of our bodies. It serves several important body functions. The main duty of iron is to carry oxygen throughout your body with the red blood cells. Of course, iron is an essential nutrient. It means that you should obtain it from food. The Daily Value of iron is (DV) is 18 mg.
The iron amount that your body absorbs is partly based on how much you have eaten and stored. A deficiency can come to the surface if your iron intake is too low, and if you fail to replace the iron amount, you lose every day. Luckily, many interesting foods with high iron can help you to meet your daily iron needs.
Animal-based sources are widely-available foods with high iron.
- Liver (chicken, lamb)
Organ meats (especially livers) are good sources of iron, and a liver can contain up to 36% of the DV (Daily Value) per serving. Liver also rich in many other nutrients, listed as selenium, vitamin A, and choline.
- Turkey
Turkey is providing 13% of the DV for iron, and it is a good source of several vitamins and minerals. It has high protein content, which promotes fullness, increases metabolism, and prevents muscle loss.
- Shellfish
100-grams of serving clams will provide you 17% of the DV for iron. Shellfish is also rich in many other essential nutrients, and it can increase HDL (acceptable) cholesterol levels in body blood.
- Beef
One serving of ground beef will contain 15% of the DV for iron and is one of the easily accessible iron sources. When considering beef, it is also rich in B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and good quality protein.
- Fish
One serving of canned tuna will provide about 8% of the DV for iron. Fish is also the best source for several other important nutrients. It includes omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
- Lamb
- Egg (chicken)
- Sardines
Plant-based sources of iron
- Legumes ( lentils, beans, and chickpeas)
One cup of cooked lentils can provide 37% of the daily value (DV) for iron. Legumes also contain high amounts of folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber, and they can even help you in weight loss.
- Spinach
Spinach is providing 15% of the DV for iron per serving. It contains several vitamins and minerals and also got essential antioxidants.
- Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds will provide you 14% of the DV for iron per 1-ounce serving. Seeds are also a good store of several other nutrients, especially magnesium.
- Broccoli and other green vegetables
One serving of broccoli can give 6% of the DV for iron, and they are very high in vitamins C, K, and folate. It can also help to reduce cancer risk.
- Wholegrain cereals such as oats or muesli, wholemeal bread, brown rice, amaranth, and quinoa
Quinoa contains 16% of the DV for iron per serving. It also provides no gluten, and it is high in protein, folate, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Dried apricots
- Nuts, especially cashews and almonds
We should have a balanced and healthy diet that includes foods with high iron sources to prevent any deficiencies, leading to health diseases.
