Iron rich foods

Food has two forms of iron: heme and nonheme. You absorb up to 30 percent of heme iron, found only in animal tissues (meat, poultry, and fish). You absorb 2-10 percent of non-heme iron, found in plant foods as well as meat. 

Eating meat generally boosts body iron far more than eating nonheme iron.

Foods that boost iron absorption most are meat, iron supplements, and foods high in vitamin C, according to research at Tufts University.

To boost the amount of iron in your diet, try these foods:

• Red meat
• Egg yolks
• Dark, leafy greens (spinach, collards)
• Dried fruit (prunes, raisins)
• Iron-enriched cereals and grains (check the labels)
• Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops)
• Turkey or chicken giblets
• Beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans
• Liver
• Artichokes

And here's a tip: If you eat iron-rich foods along with foods that provide plenty of vitamin C, your body can better absorb the iron.

Spinach Beet greens Dandelion greens Sweet potatoes Peas Broccoli String beans Collards Kale Chard	White bread (enriched) Whole wheat bread Enriched macaroni Wheat products Bran cereals Corn meal Oat cereal Cream of Wheat Rye bread Enriched rice	Shrimp Dried cod Mackerel Sardines Oysters Haddock Clams Scallops Tuna
Prunes Watermelon Dried apricots Dried peaches Strawberries Prune juice Raisins Dates Figs	Liver Liverwurst Beef Lamb Ham Turkey Chicken Veal Pork Dried beef Tongue Heart Kidney Brains	Eggs (Any Style) Dried peas Dried beans Instant breakfast Corn syrup Maple syrup Lentils Molasses

Drinking Tea Can Lower Your Levels of Iron

With its bounty of antioxidants and relatively moderate levels of caffeine, tea is one of the healthiest beverages around. But drinking tea is said to block the body’s absorption of dietary iron, potentially causing a deficiency.

Studies have shown that there is some truth to the idea. Compounds in tea called tannins can act as chelators, binding to minerals and inhibiting the body’s ability to absorb them. Although that can reduce a person’s levels of iron, studies have also found that it is unlikely to have much of an impact.


In one study, scientists examined the effect by having people eat a typical meal — a hamburger, string beans and mashed potatoes — and then measuring their iron levels after the meal was combined with various drinks. When the subjects ate the meal with tea, there was a 62 percent reduction in iron absorption. Drinking coffee resulted in a 35 percent reduction. Orange juice increased iron absorption by about 85 percent.


But there was a twist. Coffee and tea affected only the levels of non-heme iron, the kind found in grains and vegetables. Heme iron, found in meat, fish and poultry, was unaffected.
Because most Americans generally get more iron from their diets than needed, a daily cup or two of coffee or tea is unlikely to lead to low levels of iron.