Pumping Iron: What foods are high in iron and how to get more

Iron, a natural mineral present in many foods, is an essential part of any diet. It's crucial for moving oxygen to tissues, physical growth, neurological development, cellular functioning, and synthesis of some hormones. So if it's so critical, why are tens of millions deficient?

Much of it has to do with access to food. Plants and iron-fortified foods contain nonheme iron only. Meat, seafood, and poultry contain both heme and nonheme iron. Heme iron is more easily absorbed. But heme products are often more expensive, contributing to deficiency.

First, how much iron does someone need each day? It depends. Men only need 8 mg of iron daily. Women need 18 mg of iron until menopause. After that they also only need 8 mg. Pregnant? Aim for 27 mgs. Babies need just 7 mgs; while toddlers need 11 mg because they are growing.

For nonheme products, fortified breakfast cereals, which have added iron, are the best source of nonheme iron for Americans. It contains 100% of everyone's needs at 18mg. Canned white beans come in second with about 8 mgs. Popular sources like spinach and tofu have only 3 mgs.

While cereal might be a great source of iron, it's important to note that dairy blocks the absorption. So think twice before dousing your cereal in milk. It may be an instance where using a milk alternative like Almond milk is a better plan. And add an orange wedge on the side!

Surprising to many people is that beef lags behind its nonheme counterparts. A six ounce steak has just 3.5 mg of iron, a fifth of that offered by breakfast cereal. Oysters are actually higher in heme iron with 8 mgs per serving. Canned oysters have double that!

Trying to get more iron in your diet? Here are a few recipe ideas! Each tries to combine heme and nonheme rich products to maximize iron. Reduces dairy to prevent blockage. It also includes a dose of Vitamin C which aids absorption into the blood stream.