The dietary sources are divided into animal origin, such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood and vegetable origin, such as legumes, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal, and fortified cereals and whole grain products.
The difference of the above two categories lies in the type of iron they contain. In particular, in the first case, the iron is called “haem” and is more easily absorbable by the body, while in the second it is “non-heme” iron, which display much lower rates of absorption.
You have probably heard that the combination of vegetable sources of iron with foods containing vitamin C enhances absorption. On the other hand, you should be aware that there are certain ingredients that appear to reduce its bioavailability.
These include calcium, polyphenols, oxalates and phytic acid. These ingredients are contained in high quantities in foods such as dairy products, tea, coffee, cocoa, spinach, beets, okra, dried figs and prunes, nuts, fruits belonging to the berry family (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, raspberry) and some pulses.
Therefore, in cases where there are increased needs for iron, such as children, pregnant women and breast feeding as well as people with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia, it would be good to avoid the simultaneous consumption of rich sources of iron with foods or beverages containing high concentrations of the above ingredients.
What food combinations you should definitely avoid!
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