Iron - The Body's Gold

We all know that we need iron. We have all learned that it is essential for good health and mental well-being, but did you know that there are some foods which interfere with iron being absorbed? Did you also know that you can have too much of a good thing and too much iron is bad for you? Did you also know that some foods can make iron levels be absorbed up to 6 times the normal rate? No? Well read on. Or scroll to the bottom for a delicious low fat pate recipe. You heard me right - low fat paté, mmmm. (Loaded full of iron)!

A Few Facts About Iron Deficiency
Iron-deficiency anaemia affects more than 700 million people worldwide, and is one of the commonest nutritional deficiencies. In New Zealand, 1 in 6 people have iron-deficiency anaemia. It may be that people are unaware that fatigue and lethargy are 2 of the symptoms of iron deficiency. Some other symptoms include frequent infections, decreased resistance to cold, deterioration in athletic performance, restlessness and inability to concentrate. A serious side effect in infants is developmental delay and learning difficulties, which can be irreversible. Athletes must keep up their iron levels as sporting performance will be affected even before other symptoms become apparent.

Recommended daily intakes vary according to age and sex, pregnancy and athletic training as the table below shows:

Recommended Daily Iron intake:
women 19-54 years	12-16mg
women +54 years	5-7mg
pregnant women	22-36mg
men +19yrs	7mg
infants 7-12 months	9mg
children 1-11	6-8mg
teenagers 12-18 years	10-13mg
athletes	17-23mg

Eating Certain Foods Will Help Your Body Absorb More Iron
There are two type of iron in food, 'haem iron' found in animal tissues (meat) and 'non-haem iron' found in cereals fruits and veges. Haem iron has what is known as 'high bioavailablity' meaning that it can be absorbed and used by the body, but non-haem iron has low bioavailability. The good news is that eating certain foods at the same time will increase your bodies ability to absorb that iron. Vitamin C can increase the absorbtion by 4-6 times. Broccoli, for example contains 100mg of vitamin C in just one cupful. 1 lemon contains 168mg and a kiwifruit 90mg. so eating a lemon, an orange, kiwifruit, strawberries, tamarillo, fresh orange juice, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, even a potato, can increase the body's absorption or iron.

Some Foods Stop Iron Being Absorbed
There are some foods that actually inhibit, (or interfere with) the body absorbing iron and one of the most common of these is tea. Yes a cup of tea contains tannin which will decrease the amount of iron absorbed from the food you eat. Tannin is also found in some veges and legumes. There are also phytates - which are compounds found in the outer layers of cereal grains, legumes and seeds. Dietary fibre and oxalic acid are other inhibitors. Oxalic acid is found in celery leaves, spinach, beetroot, parsely and tea leaves (again). Include these foods in your diet, but have in moderation, especially tea. Avoid having tea around eating a meal.

Note that spinach is not the iron rich "wonder food" as claimed on TV due to the presence of oxalic acid and phytates competing with iron absorption sites in your gut.

What About Iron Supplements?
Iron from real food is far better absorbed than iron in tablets, so supplement doses must be high, which in turn can cause side effects like gastric irritation, nausea, heartburn, diarrhea or constipation. Supplements should only be taken on a doctor or dietitians recommendation and doses should start low and increase gradually.

Can Too Much Iron Be Bad For Me?
High iron can produce iron-overload in susceptible people. It can also induce deficiency of copper and zinc (as they compete for absorption pathways). the side effects of toxicity include diarrhea, or constipation, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and increased risk of infection.

Best Sources of Iron
The redder the meat the more iron it contains is the general rule, here is a list in order of high iron to lower iron in meats: liver, kidney, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish. Mussels contain significant amounts of iron - almost as much as red meat. In non-haem iron from high to low the best iron sources are: dried apricots, baked beans, rolled oats, kidney beans, cooked porridge, boiled egg.