Medical Questions » Blood Questions » Question No. 134
| Question: | I have been told that I am slightly anaemic, and need to eat more foods with iron. How much iron do you need in your diet, and what foods contain large amounts of it? |
| Answer: | Between 5 and 8 mg of iron is required in a person' s diet every day for good health, and because of the iron loss in their monthly period, women require twice as much as men.
Infants and rapidly growing teenagers also require more iron in their diet.
Pregnant and breast feeding women require even more iron than this, up to 35 mg per day, and as this amount may be difficult to obtain in the diet, most pregnant and breast feeding women are advised to take a daily iron tablet.
These tablets contain iron in a form that is readily absorbed into the body. Only one tablet a day is necessary for prevention of iron deficiency, but two may be prescribed for a severe deficiency.
Iron is found naturally in many foods including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cereals and vegetables. Red meat, oysters, liver, beans, nuts and wheat contain particularly high levels of iron.
Vitamin C and folic acid, vitamins that are present in fruit and vegetables, are essential for iron to be absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. Because of this requirement, commercially prepared iron tablets often contain folic acid, and sometimes vitamin C as well. Some foods (eg. bran) and drinks (eg. strong tea) can prevent the absorption of iron, and should be taken in moderation. |
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