Iron is important to your diet
I’m Brittany Taylor, WIC health professional with Coshocton County WIC. Today we are going to talk about iron.
Everyone needs iron in their diet each day. Iron is a mineral in food the body needs for growth and development. The body uses iron from food to make a protein called hemoglobin in the red blood cells. This carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
Did you know both males and females at every stage of life need iron in their diet, but infants and pregnant women need extra? In general, if iron levels are low, there is an increased risk of catching a cold or the flu, a lack of energy and problems with concentration.
Infants and toddlers with low blood iron levels have been known to have delayed mental development, social withdrawal and less ability to pay attention.
For pregnant women, the amount of blood in a women’s body increases, so more iron is needed for herself and the growing baby. Low iron levels during pregnancy can increase the risk of baby being born premature, low birth weight and low iron levels.
So what foods can we eat to have a healthy blood iron level? Foods that contain iron include meat like fish, poultry and eggs. Did you know there are many plant-based food sources that are high in iron? Some examples include dark-green leafy vegetables, green peas, broccoli, dried fruits, whole grains, tofu, kidney beans and peanut butter.
Pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C foods helps the blood absorb the iron consumed. This helps make the iron more readily available to be used by the red blood cells. A few examples of combining foods high in iron and vitamin C include peanut butter on whole-grain bread with fresh strawberries, beans and rice with tomatoes and peppers, and spinach salad topped with broccoli and cauliflower with a side of oranges.
So remember to choose a variety of foods high in iron and vitamin C each day. If you crave items that are not food like dirt, laundry starch or a lot of ice, this is a sign of low blood iron levels.
For more tips like this, call Coshocton County WIC at 740-622-2929.