Home » Feb22
Iron deficiency, which means you don't have enough iron in your system, is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States and is the leading cause of anemia. Those most often afflicted by this deficiency are menstruating women, especially, pregnant women, and infants and toddlers. Also susceptible to iron deficiency are vegetarians, persons with very high antacid intake and those who have experienced blood loss such as donors and persons with stomach and intestinal disorders.
Iron deficiency is determined by a blood test which is administered by a physician. You should never self diagnose and increase your iron intake without first seeing your doctor. The daily recommended dose of iron is 18 mg. daily for teenage and adult females, so be aware of how you are taking in. For those of you, who know that you are deficient in this department and are seeking to supplement by way of consumption, please come with me…seriously, get in. Most of the scenery presented in this ride comes courtesy of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
For the Carnivores
Organ meats such as giblets and livers are highest on the list in the meat category with a range in 5.2 to 9.9 mg. per serving. Beef, duck and lamb are known for having 10% or more of the daily recommended dose of iron with beef ranking the highest among them.
For those that Sea
And the Oscar goes to a 3oz. can of drained clams coming in at an impressive 23.8 mg. per serving. Three ounces of cooked clams came in at a close third, with 10.2 mg. per serving. Would it be too bad if I deep fried in a little batter? Perhaps fresh is best. Shrimp and sardines also rank among those sea creatures with significant levels of the metal on topic.
For the Herbivores
Crossing the finish line first are soybeans, which when cooked a ½ cup provides 4.4 mg. per serving. Second and third runner up are a 1 oz. serving of roasted pumpkin and squash seed kernels and ½ cup of white beans with 4.2 and 3.9 mg. Honorable mentions include the following: lentils, spinach, kidney beans, chickpeas, prune juice, cowpeas, tomato puree, lima beans, soy beans, navy beans and refried beans. Refried beans, really? Oh yeah, and tomato paste.
Other Goodness
It doesn't all walk, squawk or photosynthesize, some of it is found and some of it is made. Fortified dry and instant cooked cereals ranked the highest in this category with ranges from of 1.8 to 21.1 mg. per serving with dry cereal having the highest range. Third and final in this run is blackstrap molasses holding a smooth 3.5 mg. per serving. I guess you can make gingerbread cereal for something new and interesting. Probably popular for the holidays…hmmm, note to self: Sell gingerbread cereal to all pregnant women. Make a small fortune.
Other Sources
There are also a number of herbaceous beings that hold high amounts of iron within their dainty leaves and other usable parts, which one can use when cooking. The herb that contains one of the highest iron counts is dried parsley, which measures 1 milligram of iron per tablespoon. Adding a bit of dried parsley, marjoram or spearmint (second and third to dried parsley, respectively, in iron content) will give a small boost of iron to your favorite dishes. There are others such as cumin seed and dried dill, which each have mentionable levels of iron; however the three aforementioned herbs pack the most punch.
An interesting, and somewhat dismissed source of iron can be found in an unexpected place. Within the leaves of the simplistic, dainty and beautiful dandelion, resides an abundance of iron. Now please note that you should never eat any edible flower or its parts that you do not know to be organically grown. Though there is not much data out there on the nutritional content of flowers, or their stems and leaves, it is known that dandelion leaves have high amounts of calcium, phosphorous and vitamins A and C, in addition to iron. Now that's putting the petal to the metal…so to speak.