Iron in food
Iron deficiency is considered the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, being one of the main causes of anemia. Iron is an essential mineral involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin and in the cellular transport of oxygen.
- Examples of food rich in iron: meat, viscera (liver), fish, legumes (beans, peas, grains …), dark green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, fatty fruits.
- Iron present in meat, viscera, and fish (heme form) is better absorbed and used by the body than the iron present in foods of plant origin (non-heme form).
- Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron, so the consumption of citrus fruits along with foods rich in this mineral becomes even more advantageous.
- Avoid consuming dairy products along with iron-rich foods, since calcium has an inhibitory effect on the absorption of iron.
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