Iron

Did you know?

Iron is an essential mineral that is important for healthy Immune System. There are two types of iron in food – heme and non-heme. Our bodies absorb heme iron best.

Heme iron is found in animal foods such as meat, seafood, poultry and eggs.

Non-heme iron is found in plant foods like tofu, legumes (beans, dried peas, lentils), enriched grain products, nuts, seeds and some vegetables

You need a minimum of 8-18 mg/day (for adults 19 years and older).

Tips to get enough iron:

• Eat a variety of foods that contain heme iron and non-heme iron each day.

• Increase the absorption of non-heme iron in foods by eating them with heme iron foods (like meat, fish or poultry) or foods that contain vitamin C.

• Vitamin C increases the absorption of non-heme iron. Combine foods that contain non-heme iron with foods that have vitamin C. For example, serve hummus (source of iron) with red bell pepper slices (source of vitamin C)

Include these foods in your diet and build a STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM Source:

https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/How-To-Get-More-Iron.aspx#.VuCfuJMrKRs

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10971835