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How to get your daily iron

Me pēhea e kai i tō rino o ia rā

Getting enough iron is essential for good health and wellbeing. Iron helps to carry oxygen in your blood from your lungs to your brain and muscles. This helps to keep you physically and mentally strong. Because your body uses iron every day, you need to keep up your daily intake to avoid getting low in iron.

If you do not get enough iron, you will feel tired, faint and breathless, and you might find it hard to concentrate. Your skin might also be pale.

Some people have a higher risk of low iron levels. These include:

babies, children and teenagers, because they are growing rapidly
girls and women who have heavy periods
pregnant women, who are building their baby's iron stores
athletes
vegans and vegetarians
people on restrictive or fad diets.

If you think you are low in iron, talk to your general practice team as the only way to diagnose iron deficiency is through a blood test.

You cannot treat iron deficiency by diet alone, so if you are low in iron your doctor may prescribe an iron supplement. But even if you are prescribed a supplement, it is still important to get enough iron in your diet. Your doctor will also treat whatever is causing your iron deficiency.

Foods containing iron

Many foods have small amounts of iron. We absorb the iron in animal foods such as meat and fish more easily than the iron in plant foods, such as grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit.

Excellent sources of iron

Lean beef
Lean lamb
Kidney
Venison
Liver (but limit this to 100 g once a week if you are pregnant)
Shellfish, such as paua and mussels.

The redder the meat the higher the iron content.

Good sources of iron

Fish – especially oily fish such as sardines, tuna, salmon, mackerel
Lean chicken – the leg meat contains more iron than the breast meat
Lean pork/

Useful sources of iron

Eggs
Wholemeal bread and fruit bread
Iron-fortified breakfast cereals – choose a cereal with at least 3 mg iron per serving
Dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins and figs
Green leafy vegetables, such as silverbeet, spinach and watercress
Nuts and seeds, such as pumpkin, sesame and sunflower
Legumes, such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas and baked beans
Tofu and tempeh (fermented soybeans)
Spreads such as Marmite, peanut butter, hummus and tahini (sesame seed paste).

Tips to improve your iron intake

Choose a variety of foods

This is the best way to get enough iron. Every day have food from all the main food groups:

grain foods – choose mostly wholegrain and those naturally high in fibre
vegetables and fruit
milk and milk products
lean meat, chicken, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Eat lean red meat regularly

Have a serving of lean red meat at least three times a week. A serving is the size and thickness of the palm of your hand.
Eat meat, chicken or fish and vegetables together. Meat, chicken and fish help your body absorb the iron in vegetables.

Get plenty of vitamin C

Vitamin C helps us absorb up to four times as much iron. You can get vitamin C from many fruits (berries, feijoas, kiwifruit, mandarin, orange, rock melon and tamarillo). And vegetables (broccoli, capsicum, cauliflower and tomato).