Iron

Iron

Iron is a mineral that plays an important role in oxygen delivery to tissues. It is necessary for the production of hemoglobin in red blood cells, and is involved in the production of ATP (the basic unit of energy in the body). It is also essential for the regulation of cell growth and differentiation.

There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is derived from hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells. Heme iron is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Iron in plant foods such as lentils and beans is arranged in a chemical structure called nonheme iron.

Find Iron in:

Oysters
Oysters are shellfish that fall into the mollusk category, which also includes clams, mussels and scallops...
Lentils
Don't let the demure appearance of lentils fool you...
Beans
It's time beans got their due credit! Not only are they rich in fiber and protein, but are a low glycemic food that provides an array of minerals and phytonutrients as well...
Spinach
A leafy green native of Asia, spinach was brought to Europe by the Moors when they conquered Spain in the eighth century...
Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed beef forage on pasture, their native diet, as opposed to grain, soy and other supplements...
Lamb
While less than one pound of lamb is consumed on average in the U...
Ostrich
Ostrich is becoming more and more popular across the U...

Rosenzweig PH, Volpe SL Iron, thermoregulation, and metabolic rate. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 1999 Mar;39(2):131-48).Miret S, Simpson RJ, McKie AT. Physiology and molecular biology of dietary iron absorption. Annu Rev Nutr 2003;23:283-301. Uzel C and Conrad ME. Absorption of heme iron. Semin Hematol 1998;35:27-34.Sandberg A. Bioavailability of minerals in legumes. British J of Nutrition. 2002;88:S281-5. Davidsson L. Approaches to improve iron bioavailability from complementary foods. J Nutr 2003;133:1560S-2S.

References