Foods with Iron Overview

oods with iron
Iron is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body. In the human body weighing about 70 kg is about 4 g of iron, of which over half is bound in the blood, especially in the form of hemoglobin - oxygen transporting red dye.


Hemoglobin binds oxygen in the lungs and distributes it throughout the body. Iron in muscle falls while in the myoglobin, muscle red dye. Myoglobin receives oxygen from red cells and uses it for working muscles. Iron binding the carbon dioxide in the hemoglobin and transports it to the lungs, where it is removed. Iron is also a component of several enzymes (such as catalase, peroxidase and cytochrome), and proteins involved in the metabolism of the organism. Iron affects the growth process, increases immunity and prevents fatigue.

Iron is therefore a very important component of the food. The demand for this element depends on the age, sex and condition of the body - standard daily intake for adults is about 10 mg for men and 20 mg for women. In the case of hemoglobin iron deficiency is not able to bind the appropriate amount of oxygen, so as to ensure its constant delivery to the tissues. However, the iron can be utilized by the body, respectively, are required other ingredients - vitamin B 12, B 6, C, E, folic acid, and copper, zinc and molybdenum.

There are two forms of intake of iron: heme iron (animal) and nonheme iron (of plant). Good sources of iron are green leafy vegetables (spinach, beetroot, lettuce). Iron also include: beans, cereals, whole grain bread, broccoli, peas, dried apricots, and raisins, pumpkin seeds, thyme, poppy seeds and nuts. Among the foods of animal liver and kidney contain large quantities of iron in other meats contain small amounts of iron as compared to plant sources. However, absorption of heme iron is much greater than non-haem iron.