Iron: Metal in Our Blood

I've been a blood donor for a couple of years, and passing the iron test has sometimes been a challenge. I'm a vegetarian female, so my diet is missing the easiest sources of iron, such as red meat, and women generally have lower iron reserves than men. I'm not anemic, but I will sometimes be a little under the levels required by Canadian Blood Services and will have to skip that donation. Even when I do pass the iron test, I do not usually pass by a high margin.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Iron is a vital micronutrient that acts as a co-factor in many enzymatic reactions at the cellular level and affects neurotransmitter production and function, hormone function, and DNA replication. Deficiency of iron results in the disruption of normal cell and organ function, so even if you are not a blood donor, you may want to consume more of this important mineral.

Iron comes in two forms:

Heme iron, found in beef, lamb, pork, liver, veal, chicken, turkey (the dark meat has more iron), fish, and seafood. Heme iron is easily absorbed by your body, but are not vegetarian.

Non-heme iron, which is found in fortified breakfast cereals, whole grain and enriched breads and pasta, lentils, dried peas and beans, tofu, seeds and nuts such as pumpkin, sesame, and peanut, dried fruits such as raisins and apricots, dark green, leafy vegetables, and eggs. Non-heme iron sources are vegetarian and sometimes vegan, but they are less readily absorbed by the body.

Naturally, a first step towards increasing iron stores is to increase the iron-rich foods you eat. However, there a few more things you can do as well:

Watch your coffee consumption: Caffeine contains polyphenols, which inhibit iron absorption. According to the Iron Disorders Institute, a cup of coffee can impede iron absorption by as much as 60 percent. Keeping your coffee consumption low and consuming caffeine at least an hour apart from iron-rich meals may help.

Eat with vitamin C: Foods containing vitamin C, such as oranges, bell peppers, grapefruits, kale, strawberries, etc., enhance non-heme iron absorption when eaten at the same meal.

Plan your supplements: Studies have shown that calcium supplements can decrease the body's absorption of the iron. To avoid this problem, take any calcium supplements at least two hours apart from your iron-rich meals.

Cook in cast iron: Cooking with iron cookware will add iron to food.

Eat a varied diet: There are other nutrients (such as phytic acid, phytates, soy protein, and oxalates) that interfere with iron absorption in smaller ways. These are often present in the same foods that contain non-heme iron, but we are still able to absorb helpful amounts of iron from plant foods that contain any or several of these nutrients, such as whole wheat, whole grain rice, soybeans, or other legumes. Eating a varied diet instead of relying on just one or two iron-rich foods is recommended.

It is also possible to have too much iron, which can cause health problems which are just as serious as iron deficiency. For that reason, it is recommended that people check with a doctor before taking an iron supplement.

According to Canadian Blood Services: "With sufficient iron, you'll tend to feel better and look better. You'll have more energy and concentration. You will also be more able to continue to donate blood regularly and safely." Sounds good to me!