Iron plays one of the most important roles in maintaining the all over health of the human body. Like any other mineral, it too holds equal imperativeness. The reduced level of iron in one’s body can lead to a number of ill effects that you surely want to ignore. Iron deficiency has been noticed to be one of the most common deficiencies in human beings. This deficiency can be supplanted with a regular supply of iron by consuming iron rich foods on a regular basis.
These natural ingredients can be easily sourced from the market or can be grown on your own property with very little consideration or effort. Hence, it is important that you maintain a constant level of optimum iron in your body, to be healthy and sound. The iron rich foods can vary in the category. Vegetables, fruits and cereals, all have their share of iron. Yet, the main aim here is to list the names of the food items that have the highest content of iron in them and are also beneficial for our body.
The top 10 food items that are very rich in iron
Here is the top 10 iron rich foods list:
- Chicken Liver
Chicken liver or for that matter liver from any animal such as beef and lamb are very high in iron. Not only iron but they serve you with a whole lot of other minerals, vitamins and also proteins that make them the absolute super food. If you want to settle for leaner liver options that do not add up to your calorie level much, then you should probably settle for a smart option that lies with pork and chicken liver.
- Oysters
As much as you might love seafood, they also add quite some iron to your body. In case that you are holding back from having those extra couple of oysters on the appetizer table, well you do not have to as they are the best iron food around. Other sea foods that are equally high in iron are mussels, squid, clams, etc.
- Legumes
Legumes again are one of the best sources of iron for the human body. In case that you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can easily settle for a bowl of chickpeas for a sufficient supply of iron. One cup of chickpeas fetches you 5gm of iron.
- Cereal
If you are used to having a bowl of cereal every morning, make your bowl a bit healthier and opt for a fortified version. These fortified cereals offer almost the 90% of iron content required in your body every day, along with some other important minerals such as zinc, Vitamin B, calcium, etc.
- Pumpkin and Flax Seeds
Pumpkin and flax seeds also form a potent source of iron for the human body. They definitely deserve a top spot on the list of iron rich foods. One cup of these seeds can serve you with about 2 gms of iron. All you have to do is put them in the salad of your choice or pick up a granola bar with these seeds.
- Soya Bean
Soya Bean is not only high in protein value but is also very high in term of its protein content. It also provides other minerals like manganese, copper, etc.
- Lentils
There is a whole lot of diversity in lentil that you may use. Cook these lentils to perfection. These tasty delights will not only satisfy your winter cravings but also your daily requirement of iron.
- Beans
Beans are often the staple breakfast option, topped with a couple of toasty bread. The white and red beans are the perfect iron rich food that your body needs.
- Spinach
Spinach is a super food. It contains a whole lot of vitamins and minerals in it and is also one of the most highly recognised sources of protein. You can get almost 5 gms of protein from a cup of cooked spinach.
- Sesame Seeds
If you are looking for the highest iron-containing food, well here it is. A cup of these toasty, nutty delights contains a total of 20 gms of iron.
This iron food list is dedicated to the top 10 iron rich foods items. Specific quantities of intake of these items can give you the optimum supply of iron, every day.
how can i reduce the high iron level in my blood by diet ?
Hello Terry,
High Iron levels(hemochromatosis) can be reduced by following dietary changes
1.Increase your calcium intake(yoghurt,Milk,tofu, unprocessed cheese)
2.Consume non heme(nonheme iron is harder for the body to absorb) leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli, olives and mushrooms
3.You can also include lean meat in your diet-fish, chicken ,Raw shell fish
Avoid-Vitamin c containing fruits and vegetables: oranges, Kiwi ,lemon (as they support heme absorption inn the body)