Iron blockers Tea, coffee, unprocessed bran, some soy proteins and medications can block the body's absorption of non-haem iron. Avoid eating or drinking iron blockers at the same time as iron-rich foods.
Egg yolk contains a protein compound called phosvitin, which can inhibit iron absorption by up to 30%. If you're not ready to give up eggs, try eating egg whites only for a while until you can raise your iron levels. Egg whites don't contain phosvitin, so they are less likely to block iron absorption.
Inhibitors of iron absorption include phytate, which is a compound found in plant-based diets that demonstrate a dose-dependent effect on iron absorption. Polyphenols are found in black and herbal tea, coffee, wine, legumes, cereals, fruit, and vegetables and have been demonstrated to inhibit iron absorption.
Approximately 50% of the iron that was consumed in the raw bananas was absorbed. Thus, even though raw bananas have a low iron content, absorption is high. Raw banana starch is resistant to degradation in the small bowel during digestion, and may limit iron absorption.
Tea and coffee are considered the strongest inhibitors of iron. A cup of tea reduces iron absorption by about 75%-80%, and a cup of coffee by about 60%.
There is 0.3 mg of iron in one-third of a medium avocado. That's 2% of the daily value (DV) of iron. Nutrient-rich avocados contain nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Learn more about the benefits of avocado here.
The geometric mean (range ± 1 SD) of basal iron absorption was 30.2% (13.8- 66.0). The absorption of iron plus blueberries, blueberries and breakfast, and breakfast were 6.8% (21.1-21.7), 7.5% (2.3-24.0), and 5.7% (1.5-22.4) respectively (ANOVA, p<0001).
For these people, it is wise to limit foods that hinder iron absorption during their high iron meals. Chocolate, tea, and dark green leafy vegetables contain oxalates. Oxalates impair the absorption of non-heme iron. Eat these foods separately from high iron foods.
Burgos explains most vegetables and legumes, contain high levels of phytates and other compounds which inhibit iron absorption, whereas potatoes have low phytate levels and plenty of vitamin C, which enhances iron absorption.
Foods rich in heme iron
There are plenty of foods high in iron. You'll find heme iron in the following types of food: Beef. Chicken.
Oats can be a great source of iron and other highly desirable nutrients such as dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Potatoes
Potatoes, especially the unpeeled ones, contain significant amounts of iron. One large unpeeled potato contains around 3.2 mg of iron. Potatoes also have vitamin C in them, which is essential for the absorption of iron in the body.
Phlebotomy, or venesection, is a regular treatment to remove iron-rich blood from the body. Usually, this will need to take place weekly until levels return to normal. When iron levels build up again, the person will need to repeat the treatment.
Milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products have many health benefits, especially when it comes to bone and heart health. But it's also true that dairy sometimes inhibits iron absorption and could put you at risk for iron deficiency anemia.
Basically all grains, especially wholegrains with a high dietary fibre content (like the oats bran), tend to reduce the absorption of all minerals, including iron.
Examples are spinach, cashew, raspberry smoothie, mulberry smoothie, beet and orange smoothie. Moreover, juices like prune juice, beetroot juice, pumpkin juice are good for iron deficiency. Choose a drink with orange, tomato or grapefruit juice as they are rich in vitamin C and increase the absorption of nonheme iron.
Apple juice can be a part of their diet without any concern about iron absorption.
It has also been demonstrated that sufficiently prolonged use of these substances may cause iron depletion or iron deficiency (8). Indeed, with prolonged use, olive oil-derived polyphenols are associated with progressive loss of iron stores (9).
Strawberries. Strawberries are the golden tier of iron-rich fruits, as not only do they contain iron but also Vitamin C which helps with the absorption of iron. They're rich in antioxidants, as well as containing good amounts of folate (Vitamin B9) and potassium which is also fantastic for natural energy.
They found that magnesium oxide can impair iron absorption by decreasing the pH and forming macromolecular polymers. But where interaction between other forms of magnesium and iron is concerned, there's little evidence suggesting it's unsafe or shouldn't be supplemented together.
Canned Tomatoes
Raw tomatoes themselves don't contain a ton of iron, but canned stewed tomatoes pack in 2 mg of iron or 11% of the daily value in just 1/2 cup serving. Even tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes contain considerable amounts of iron as well.
Carrots are high in iron, particularly non-heme iron, as well as a good source of vitamin C. In addition they have Vitamin A and beta-carotene.
Not only do strawberries contain iron (about one cup of strawberries contains at least 3% of the RDA), but strawberries also contain vitamin C, aiding in overall iron absorption.