Iron is one of the most important minerals when it comes to blood cell health. It is essential for hemoglobin in red blood cells. It is also required for the normal functioning of the white blood cells and humoral immunity. That’s why iron deficiency patients suffer from anemia, fatigue, and immunity problems.
In past articles, we have covered everything you need to know about iron and iron deficiency. If you haven’t read them yet, we encourage you to learn more about iron deficiency symptoms and the basics of iron deficiency. In this article, we’re continuing the topic by giving you a thorough list of iron-rich foods you can consume to prevent iron deficiency or correct anemia due to low iron levels in the diet.
It is important to remember here that you have two different types of iron, and they are different because your body absorbs them differently. They are heme and nonheme iron. hem iron is found in animal tissue and can be found in foods such as meat and organ meat. Nonheme iron is the one we can find in vegetable foods such as lentils. Compared to hem iron, nonheme iron is poorly absorbed. However, consuming enough nonheme iron usually adds up to prevent iron deficiency.
Thus, let’s break down a list of iron-rich foods into the hem and nonheme iron sources.
Foods high in hem iron
1) Oysters, clams, mussels
These are very similar to each other, and they also contain a similar iron content. They are a great source of heme iron. You can eat oysters, clams, and mussels raw on the beach or cooked in seafood salads. They are particularly tasty if you grill them and add some lemon juice and olive oil.
Oysters contain plenty of other nutrients like zinc, copper, selenium, and vitamin B12, but they are particularly rich in iron. They are tiny powerhouses for your immune system and are also linked to reducing cardiovascular risk. Moreover, since oysters contain plenty of potassium, they may even lower your blood pressure levels if you eat them with little or no salt.