5 Easy Ways to Boost Iron Absorption

Fatigue, apathy, pale appearance, hair loss, feeling cold all the time...sound familiar? If so, then you may be well acquainted with iron deficiency, and potentially even iron deficiency anemia. Many people struggle with this issue, in fact over 1.6 billion people worldwide are estimated to have an iron deficiency, and the World Health Organization has labeled it as the single most common nutrient deficiency in the world. While not everyone experiencing these symptoms necessarily has an iron deficiency, populations that are particularly prone to this deficiency are women of reproductive age, young children, adolescents and athletes or those who are very physically active. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and suspect that you may be deficient, reach out to your healthcare provider so that you can have bloodwork done to evaluate.

So, what is iron and what does it do?

Iron is a mineral that is in all of our cells in small amounts, but plays a particularly important role in red blood cells. Iron is a vital part of hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs and transports it all over your body so that your tissues have an adequate oxygen supply. Without sufficient iron, your body is unable to make enough mature oxygen-carrying red blood cells, causing you to feel tired due to a lack of oxygen delivery to your cells. In more severe cases of iron deficiency, hair loss can occur due to insufficient oxygen delivery to hair follicles. When iron stores are very low, your body routes the iron-containing hemoglobin (carrying oxygen) to more important body tissues rather than worrying about keeping your hair intact, which is a lower priority on the totem pole.

You may be wondering why it seem like everyone and their mother is or has been iron deficient at some point in their lives. This is because our bodies are designed to only absorb about 10% of the iron that we consume. The human body does not have a great way of removing excess iron on its own, so if we were to absorb most of the iron in our food, then many people would have iron toxicity—not ideal!

There are two types of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is most readily absorbed by the body and is found in animal products, whereas non-heme iron is more abundant in food and is found in plant-based foods, but it is not as readily absorbed. If you are a vegetarian, however, fear not, because these 5 tips can help to increase non-heme plant-based iron absorption! Eating red meat is certainly not necessary for obtaining adequate iron as long as you know what plant foods to eat, when to eat them, and what to eat them with.

If you are iron deficient and are curious as to how you can increase your iron absorption without taking an iron supplement (always consult your physician or registered dietitian prior to starting or stopping an iron supplement!), then try following these 5 easy tips:

1. Consume vitamin C with foods rich in non-heme iron

Vitamin C can increase non-heme iron absorption by 3 times! Simply adding lemon juice to spinach, tomato sauce to lentils, broccoli to a tofu stir fry, or eating strawberries, oranges, or any vitamin C-rich food with a plant-based iron-rich food is very beneficial.

2. Cook in a cast iron skillet

Cooking in a cast iron skillet or any type of cast iron cookware can actually add iron to your food without affecting the taste.

3. Eat iron-rich foods at different times than calcium-rich foods

Calcium and both heme and non-heme iron compete for absorption and affect the absorption of one another, so it is best to eat calcium-rich foods at different times than iron-rich foods. For example, if you are having lentil soup, don't eat it with a grilled cheese sandwich or glass of milk (strange combination, I know, but you get the idea). You can still have the grilled cheese sandwich or glass of milk, but eat/drink them a few hours before or after so that the calcium in cheese and milk do not interfere with iron absorption from the lentils.

4. Avoid drinking tea or coffee at the same time as consuming iron-rich foods

Coffee and green and black tea contain compounds called tannins which are a type of polyphenol that is good for you, but not good for non-heme iron absorption. Tannins are known to block plant-based iron absorption, so if you drink coffee or tea in the morning, try to get your plant-based iron in later on in the day for maximum absorption.

5. Soak or sprout your whole grains and legumes

Whole grains and legumes contain antioxidant compounds called phytates which may bind to iron and affect its absorption. When soaked overnight or sprouted (you can also purchase sprouted grains and legumes at most health food stores), the amount of phytates present in the grains and legumes is lessened and the nutrients, particularly iron, become more bioavailable. Fermenting has similar benefits by lowering phytate concentration (hello, tempeh!).

Plant-based foods rich in iron:

• Lentils

• Tofu and Tempeh (fermented soybeans)

• Soybeans

• Chickpeas

• Lima Beans

• Navy Beans

• Kidney Beans

• Dried apricots

• Nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, pistachios)

• Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, beet greens)

• Skins of potatoes

• Oyster mushrooms

• Dark chocolate and cocoa powder

• Mulberries

• Quinoa

• Oats

• Amaranth

• Spelt

• Spirulina

• Blackstrap molasses (in moderation because of the high sugar content)

Foods rich in vitamin C to pair with plant-based iron-rich foods:

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Tomatoes

• Kale

• Parsley

• Mustard greens

• Brussels sprouts

• Berries, especially strawberries

• Papaya

• Citrus fruits

• Bell peppers

• Chili peppers

• Mango

• Pineapple

• Kiwi

• Stone fruits (peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries)

• Guava

• Lychee

• Melon