ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Iron Rich Foods

Updated on July 10, 2011

No one can rule out the importance of iron for the human body. Iron is necessary for the production of red blood cells, hemoglobin, collagen and amino acids. The main function of iron is to carry oxygen in hemoglobin, a substance found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin then transports this oxygen to the rest of the body's cells in our body. It helps make collagen, a connective tissue that joins body tissues together. Iron also protects the body from various infections. It is also responsible for making proteins called amino acids.

Before I list the food high in iron content, here is some more worth sharing information on iron. To skip this info and read about iron-rich foods, please scroll down.

How much iron do we need?

Recommended amounts of iron...

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends the following:

  • Infants younger than 6 months: 0.27 (mg/day)
  • Babies 7 months to 1 year: 11 mg/day
  • Kids 1 to 3 years: 7 mg/day
  • children 4 to 8 years: 10 mg/day
  • 9 to 13 years(both boys and girls): 8 mg/day
  • 14 to 18 years: 11 mg/day for males and 15 mg/day for females
  • Men age 19 and above: 8 mg/day
  • Women older than 51 years: 8mg/day
  • Women from 19 to 50 years of age: 18 mg/day


Women who are pregnant or producing breast milk may need different amounts of iron. Ask your health care provider what is appropriate for you.

Too Much Iron

Despite the importance of iron for our body, too much iron can be toxic, which can ultimately lead to damage of the heart, diabetes liver disease and skin discoloration. The body usually does a good job of excreting excess iron, however, it is not recommended that an individual take supplements with high levels of iron.

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Here are some symptoms of anemia(Iron deficiency)

  • Fatigue (the most common symptom of anemia)
  • Finger nails become thin, brittle and white
  • Feeling lack on energy
  • Irritability
  • Weakness
  • Burning sensation in the tongue
  • Rapid and forceful heart beat
  • Frequent headaches
  • Severe menstrual pain and bleeding.
  • Feeling cold
  • Dryness in the mouth and throat
  • Brittle hair.
  • A strong desire to eat nonfoods such as ice, paint or dirt. This condition is known as pica.
  • Dizziness
  • Pale skin and gums
  • Disturbed sleep (mostly caused by breathlessness during sleep)
  • Sleepiness
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Low blood pressure
  • Sore tongue
  • Decreased appetite (especially in children)
  • Sores at the corners of the mouth


Causes of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency, which is also known as anemia(also spelled as anaemia) can be caused due to the following...

  • Strictly vegetarian diet can cause anemia as red meat and other meats are the main source of iron.
  • Babies can develop iron deficiency, especially if they are premature. Storing iron is not usually completed until the final stages of pregnancy.
  • The body needs more iron when a large amount of cell divisions occur, such as in pregnancy which can lead to a deficiency.
  • Heavy menstruation causes Iron deficiency.
  • Diseases of small intestine and ulcers can play a major role in depleting iron stores in the body.


Foods High in Iron Content

The anemia or iron deficiency in your body can be treated and cured by consuming these foods on a regular basis.

  • Clams
  • Tofu
  • Chickpeas
  • Turkey breast
  • Soybeans
  • prunes
  • Raisins
  • Liver
  • Red Kidney beans
  • Almonds
  • Cooked ground beef
  • Cooked lamb beef
  • Egg yolks
  • spinach
  • Sirloin steak
  • Red meat
  • Shrimp
  • Boiled black beans
  • collard
  • Artichokes


A Website about Health!

Visit XYZhealth.com for more information on health and nutrition. XYZhealth.com is providing some useful health information.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)