Elaine Moran Wellness

Healthy Habits, Delicious Life!

  • Home
  • Meet Elaine
  • Food as Medicine Database
  • Blog
  • Mixiterranean
  • Books
You are here: Home / Food as Medicine Database / Search by Nutrient / Iron

Iron

​Health BENEFITS of ​​Iron:

  • ​necessary for producing hemoglobin in red blood cells
  • helps store and transport oxygen throughout the body
  • ​assists white blood cells in fighting bacteria
  • ​supports a healthy immune system
  • important for proper muscle and brain function
  • ​helps change beta carotene into Vitamin A
  • ​​​protects cells against the damaging effects of free radicals
  • supports energy production and helps prevent fatigue
  • helps with production of thyroid hormone and dopamine

Foods HIGH in ​Iron:

  • ​asparagus
  • beans
  • ​beef
  • ​beet greens
  • ​bok choy
  • ​bulgur
  • clams
  • ​collard greens
  • cumin
  • dark chocolate
  • ​dates
  • ​​lentils
  • liver
  • ​molasses
  • ​oregano
  • ​​​parsley
  • potato
  • ​​pumpkin seeds
  • ​raisins
  • ​sea vegetables
  • ​salmon
  • ​sesame seeds
  • soybeans
  • ​spinach​
  • ​sweet potato
  • Swiss chard
  • thyme
  • turmeric

​Things to KNOW About ​Iron:

Iron is a key element in the metabolism of almost ​every living organism.

 There are two forms of dietary iron:

  • ​heme iron - found only in animal products
  • non-heme iron - found mainly in plant-based foods
  • Heme iron is only found in meat, poultry, and fish. However, animal foods also contain some non-heme iron, thus they contain a combination of both heme and non-heme iron. Approximately half of the total iron in animal foods is non-heme iron. Heme iron is easier for the body to absorb than non-heme iron.

    Non-heme iron is found in vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. It's also found in eggs and dairy products. Non-heme iron is ​not absorbed as well as heme iron. However, the absorption of non-heme iron can be enhanced by consuming foods high in vitamin C along with the heme-iron food. 

    ​​Extra iron in the body is stored in the liver, bone marrow, spleen, and muscles. An iron deficiency can lead to anemia. Anemia ​occurs when the​ red blood cell count is low. This​ causes reduced oxygen flow to the organs which can result in fatigue.

    CLICK ON THE BOOK TO LEARN MORE . . .

    Join me on Facebook

    Join me on Facebook

    Follow me on Instagram

    We’ve all been trained to credit the diet when we lose weight—and blame ourselves when we gain it all back. The word “diet” in this sense is defined as “restricting oneself to small amounts of specific foods to lose weight.”
    What if there was just one New Year’s resolution—that if you kept it—could change your life forever?
    And we’d all have bruised booties and a hard time sitting down! 🤣
    🍎 “An apple a day does keep the doctor away!”
    Don’t we all just want to be acknowledged, accepted, appreciated, and loved? 💕
    Salad jars are convenient and portable way to get a good amount of your daily veggies in one meal.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 · Swank Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in