Iron

Iron is best known for the part it plays in helping red blood cells transport oxygen around the body, as an essential element in haemoglobin. Indeed, almost two thirds of all the body’s iron is found in the blood.

However, it has other, equally important roles to play.

It helps protect us from infection and if we become short of iron, we can very quickly become tired and weak. Such iron deficiency, or ‘anaemia’ is common among those with a very poor diet, or one that’s particularly low in iron rich foods.

Although the body can store some iron, it’s important to make sure you have enough each day to keep your levels up.

Which foods are rich in iron?

There are two kinds of iron found in foods; haem, which is readily absorbed by the body and non-haem, which has a slightly different chemical structure and is less easily absorbed.

Good sources of haem iron include liver, lean red meat, chicken, fish, shellfish and eggs.

Non-haem iron can be found in dairy products, wholegrains, beans, pulses and lentils, brown rice, dried fruit, broccoli, spinach and asparagus.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, then obviously your choices are limited to foods containing less readily absorbed non-haem iron. Including plenty of vitamin C rich fresh fruit and veg in your diet, however, can significantly increase your uptake of non-haem iron and of course, you can choose iron fortified breakfast cereals and iron supplements from your local health food store to boost your intake.