The Ferrum Power

Heme and Non-Heme Sources of Iron

In spite of the extensive presence of iron in the food we eat, there are many individuals who still don’t get the required amount of iron on a daily basis. Our body requires iron mainly to carry the oxygen in the hemoglobin of red blood cells throughout the body to enable cells to produce energy. Iron also helps to remove carbon dioxide. When iron levels drop down, fatigue, weakness and difficulty maintaining body temperature often result.

Iron is available in two forms in the food we eat, heme and non-heme. Heme, which is better utilized by our body, is present in animal foods such as meat, fish and poultry whereas, non-heme, which is not so well-absorbed, is found in plant foods such as spinach and beans.

How much iron is required by our body? Though our body can deal with decreased or increased levels of iron by absorbing more or less, respectively, the required levels are set to meet the requirements of the general population. Given below are the current DRIs for iron consumption:

Gender/Age	Iron DRI
Males/14–18	11 mg
Males/19 +	8 mg
Females/14–18	15 mg
Females/19–50	18 mg
Females/51 +	8 mg

Increasing your plant and animal foods can augment your iron intake. Vitamin C helps to increase the absorption of iron in plant foods (crucial for vegetarians). Read more about plant foods and vegetarian sources of iron at www.firsteatright.com. Eat good healthy foods from various food groups to ensure availability of iron whenever you need it.

Iron-rich foods include:
Non-heme Iron 

• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Pumpkin seeds
• Whole grains
• Dark green vegetables
• Dried beans like kidney, black and lentils
• Enriched rice

Heme Iron 

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Salmon

Gender/Age  

Iron DRI  

Males/14–18

11 mg

Males/19 +

8 mg

Females/14–18

15 mg

Females/19–50

18 mg

Females/51 +

8 mg