Plant-based foods contain iron, but of course not every type of food contains the same amount of iron. The body needs iron in small amounts. An iron deficiency can have serious consequences such as fatigue and anemia. There are a total of 10 major symptoms for an iron deficiency. If you suffer from an iron deficiency, it is recommended that you get into the habit of eating iron-containing foods. In the long run, this will benefit you more than taking iron supplements. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• What does iron do in the body?
• Keep your iron levels up
• Symptoms of Iron Deficiency:
• How do you solve an iron deficiency?
• Iron in herb
• Explanation of the top 12 iron-rich foods
• List of Vegetarian, iron-containing products:
• Iron and vitamin C

What does iron do in the body?

Iron ensures that oxygen is transported better in the blood. The immune system is kept in optimal condition when you eat enough iron-containing food. The body produces more energy. You feel better about yourself, more energetic and you are less susceptible to diseases. It is important to know that iron is good for the mind and body. You can concentrate less well when you suffer from iron deficiency and become depressed more quickly.

Keep your iron levels up

Legumes are among the most iron-rich foods. They are easy to incorporate into everyday food. When you cook rice or pasta you can add 100 grams of lentils to the cooking water for the pasta. A few tablespoons of other legumes are also excellent as a food with potatoes. This way you keep your iron levels up to standard.Tomatoes are rich in iron / Source: Maduixa, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency:

• Fatigue
• Decreased concentration
• High susceptibility to infections
• Hair loss
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Brittle nails
• Apathy
• Depression

How do you solve an iron deficiency?

If you have an iron deficiency, it is a good idea to eat a daily soup of chickpeas, split peas, lentils, kidney beans or other types of legumes. You can also start by spreading hummus on your bread; that is made from chickpeas. Humus is easy to make yourself by mashing chickpeas and mixing them with a little tahini (ground sesame seeds), oil, black pepper and salt. To make it extra tasty you can add curry spices to the hummus.Chocolate is rich in iron / Source: Dbenbenn, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)Jars of apple syrup sometimes say that it is rich in iron. However, this is due to the metal of the pans that the industry uses in factories! This is not naturally obtained iron from apples and therefore not healthy at all. 

Iron in herb

There is a lot of iron in green herbs. Thyme, parsley, basil, rosemary and dill are all high in iron. These green herbs are delicious on food. Pizzas, potatoes, pasta, rice dishes and omelette dishes. Herbs can also be drunk as tea. It is also recommended to add some thyme to a self-prepared muesli.

Explanation of the top 12 iron-rich foods

Below is a list of 12 iron-containing vegetables. The top 12 foods rich in iron include 7 legumes. Legumes are lentils, kidney beans, white beans, kidney beans and the like. These are easy to eat every day. If you add legumes to your daily menu, you will never have an iron deficiency. There are also various other iron-rich ingredients. Some types of meat, such as organ meat liver spread sausage, also contain iron, but meat is not included in the list because meat has other negative health consequences.

List of Vegetarian, iron-containing products:

1. Green herbs
2. Cocoa and chocolate
3. Seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and melon seeds
4. Sun dried tomatoes
5. Dried apricots
6. Olives
7. Legumes
8. Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach
9. Tofu
10. Artichokes
11. asparagus
12. Whole grain products such as oatmeal, muesli and organic brown bread

 Vitamin C helps iron to be better absorbed into the blood / Source: Dvortygirl, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Iron and vitamin C

Iron is better absorbed if you eat vitamin C. In addition to eating iron-containing foods, it is advisable to eat an orange, kiwi, strawberry or vitamin C-containing vegetables such as broccoli, peppers, Brussels sprouts and kale. Papaya is the fruit that contains relatively the most vitamin C of all fruits and vegetables.

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