For Goodness Sake

Iron

Iron is stored in red blood cells. Its role is to assist in the transportation of oxygen around the body. Whilst most of us get enough iron from your diet, some people are ‘at risk’ of deficiency. They may not eat enough to keep up with demand - pregnant women, vegetarians and athletes.

During pregnancy, the baby will take all of the iron it requires from the mother’s supply with the potential to leave the mother’s supply depleted. (and so it begins…).

Athletes can have higher iron requirements due to the increased destruction of red blood cells. The body must replace these damaged cells with new ones and as iron forms part of these cells more iron is required to do so.

The most readily absorbed sources of iron are found in red meat, poultry and fish, leaving vegetarians potentially at risk of iron deficiency. Whilst iron is found in both plant and animal sources it is far more readily absorbed by the body from animal sources than it is from plant sources.

We can all help ourselves maximise the amount of iron absorbed by consuming a source of vitamin C at the same time. Citrus fruits, red capsicum, tomatoes and berries are great sources of vitamin C, so if you include these with your meal you are giving yourself a hand in absorbing the iron. Avoid drinking tea or coffee with your meal, as the tannin found in tea and coffee interferes with iron absorption.

Good health to you and many thanks to Lesa Paine BSc MSc(Nutr & Diet) for her contribution this month.