What Foods Increase Iron Levels

Iron is one of the most important minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the body. A small volume of this trace element (about ⅔) is in the hemoglobin of the blood, because it is important to monitor its level, undergo regular check-ups and, if necessary, change your diet .

Why is hemoglobin needed ?

The main function of hemoglobin is to transport oxygen to the cells of the body and to all its organs and tissues. If this indicator is low, the body is in a state of oxygen starvation - hypoxia. The main functions of organs and systems of the body in which iron takes part are DNA synthesis, detoxification of the body, proper functioning of the thyroid gland and the immune system, and metabolism. For example, if a person has an iron deficiency , most likely, he will often get sick, catch colds easily, and recovery from ailments will take longer.

How much iron a person gets per day

The main source of iron is food . To understand whether you are getting enough of the trace element from your diet , you can do the following:

• Find an online calorie calculator.

• During the week, note in the application all the consumed products .

• Analyze food for a week.

• Add up the iron data and divide by 7.

This way you will get your daily averages. The norm of iron obtained from food is about 8-10 mg per day. Women have a higher need for iron because they regularly lose it when the menstrual cycle begins.

How to change the diet to increase hemoglobin

• Hemove. It is obtained from products of animal origin (meat, offal, poultry, fish). It has a sufficiently high digestibility - about 30%. The amount of such products in the diet should be 15-20%.

• non-game It should make up 80-85% of the diet , since plant- based foods have a lower digestibility of iron - about 10%.

What foods help to increase hemoglobin in the blood

You should pay attention to plant products with the maximum iron content in the composition:

• Oat flakes - up to 30 mg of iron in 100 g of the product .

• Sea cabbage - 25 mg/100 g.

• Soybeans - 16 mg/100 g.

• Lentils - 12 mg/100 g.

• Beans - 10 mg of iron in 100 g of product .

• Sesame - 9 mg/100 g.

• Buckwheat - 8 mg/100 g.

• Goji berries - 6.8 mg/100 g.

• Hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios - 5 mg of iron in 100 g of product .

• Dark 90% chocolate - 4 mg/100 g.

• Spinach and other leafy greens - 4 mg/100 g.

• Quince, pear, persimmon - 2-3 mg/100 g.

It is very important for people with a low level of hemoglobin to add to their diet products rich in complete protein - of animal origin. In particular, you should pay attention to eggs and meat: they contain iron , a large amount of balanced easily digestible protein and B vitamins. From fish and seafood, you can select mackerel, tuna, shellfish and any caviar, they not only have a lot of iron , and omega-3 fatty acids. Offal (for example, beef or chicken liver) is no less valuable - in addition to iron , they contain B vitamins, which contribute to its assimilation.

Also, it is important to remember that iron , which is necessary for increasing the level of hemoglobin , cannot be fully absorbed without certain factors. For example, vitamin C, B vitamins (in particular, folic acid), omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids are necessary for its assimilation in the digestive tract and the synthesis of hemoglobin .

The state of the digestive system also affects the assimilation of iron . The trace element is absorbed in the duodenum, but only if the intestine is healthy. Various diseases of the digestive organs reduce the bioavailability of iron . Also, tannins from tea, coffee and cocoa, various drugs to reduce the acidity of gastric juice, directly low acidity of gastric juice can interfere with the absorption of iron . Adding fruits to the diet that activate iron absorption and contain vitamin C can additionally improve the situation with iron absorption . The most effective will be citrus fruits, melon, pineapple, sour apples.