Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV July 23/02

IRON… ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH?

• Are you female?
• Do you avoid red meat?
• Do you often skip meals?
• Are you trying to lose weight by eating less?
• Do you usually drink tea or coffee with your meals?
• Do you often have heavy menstrual periods?If you answered “yes” to 2 or more of these questions, you may not be getting enough iron.What is iron?
  Iron is an essential mineral found in every living cell of your body.

  Iron:

• Builds red blood cells
• Helps cells work in the body
• Carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body
• Helps the brain work at its bestWhy is iron important for teenagers?
  All teens need iron to grow and to maintain health. Teen girls need more iron than boys because they lose iron during their menstrual periods. Girls with a heavy flow need more iron than girls with a light flow. Teen girls, 14 to 18 years of age, should aim to have 15 mg of iron each day.How much do adult women need?
  Women 19 to 49 years of age should aim to have 18 mg of iron each day. These new recommendation are 40% higher than in the past. They reflect a new understanding of the varying needs for iron among women.

  What happens if I don’t get enough iron?
  You may:

• Feel tired
• Look pale
• Have trouble studying or concentrating on your work
• Feel out of breath
• Not have enough energy to do the things you want
• Feel irritableDid you know…? If you skip meals regularly or are cutting out foods, you may not be getting enough iron each day.In recent study, nine out of ten Canadian women did not consume the recommended amount of iron.

  You may need more iron every day if you:

• Avoid meat products
• Use an intra-uterine device (this makes you bleed more)
• Have recently given a blood donationDid you know…? If you do not eat any meat, fish or poultry, you need almost twice as much iron as women who do.What do I need to eat to get enough iron?
  It is important to get iron from a variety of foods. Iron comes in two forms:
  1. Heme iron is very easily absorbed by your body.
     Foods with heme iron:
     Beef
     Lamb
     Pork
     Liver
     Veal
     Turkey and chicken (dark meat has more iron)
     Fish and seafood
  2. Non-heme iron is not absorbed as well as heme iron.
     Foods with non-heme iron:
     Breakfast cereals (fortified with iron)
     Breads and pasta (whole grain and enriched)
     Lentils, dried peas and beans
     Seeds and nuts (pumpkin, sesame, peanuts)
     Dried fruit (raisins, apricots)
     Dark green, leafy vegetables
     Eggs

  Ways to get the most iron from my food

  1. Go for heme:
     Heme iron is easier to absorb than non-heme iron. Eating meat, fish or poultry also helps the body to use non-heme iron from other foods.
  2. Include vitamin C-rich foods with your meals:
     Foods that contain vitamin C help the body absorb non-heme iron.
     Good source of vitamin C
     Green, yellow and red peppers
     Oranges, grapefruits, clementines, mandarins
     Strawberries, raspberries, kiwis
     Tomatoes, turnips
     Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
     100% juices (orange, tomato and apple with added vitamin C)
  3. Avoid tea and coffee during meals:
     Tea and coffee contain polyphenols, which lower the amount of non-heme iron your body can absorb.Iron supplements should only be taken after talking to a registered dietitian or a family doctor about your iron needs.Get the most iron from non-heme foods. Here’s how it works!

     Start with : 250 mL red kidney beans
     Add : 250 mL canned tomatoes (Vitamin C in tomatoes increases iron absorption!)
     Add : 75 grams cooked lean ground beef (Meat increases iron absorption!)

  Easy steps to iron-rich eating

  1. Enjoy a variety of foods from Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.Sample day’s menu with the recommended amount of ironBreakfast:
     – Bowl of cereal with strawberries and milk or
     – Bowl of corn flakes with milk and a glass of orange juice

     Lunch:
     – Tuna or egg salad sandwich on tow slices of whole wheat bread with mayonnaise, carrot sticks, apple and milk or
     – Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato and chocolate milk

     Dinner:
     – Beef stir-fry with mixed vegetables on noodles and juice or
     – Beef burrito, salad and apple juice

     Snacks:
     – Mixed dried fruit and a bran muffin or
     – Yoghurt, baby carrots, trail mix and an apple

  2. Eat foods high in heme iron.
     – Choose beef, lamb, pork, veal, poultry and fish more often.
     – Red meat (like beef and lamb) has the highest amount of heme iron. Today’s beef is lean and is a healthy choice.
  3. Combine foods high in non-heme iron with meat, fish, poultry and/or vitamin C-rich foods to increase iron absorption.Try these ideas!– Add tuna to cheese pasta
     – Add ground beef to bean chili
     – Have breakfast every day. Cereal is an easy way to get non-heme iron.
     – Add ground beef to pizza or nachos.
     – Top a leafy green salad with sliced grilled chicken.
  4. Avoid drinking coffee or tea with your meal. – If you drink tea or coffee, wait until on hour after meals and/or choose juice or milk instead.
  5. If you do not eat meat, fish or poultry, include vitamin C-rich foods with your meals to increase absorption of non-heme iron.Try these ideas!– Add dried cranberries to breakfast cereals.
     – Drink a glass of juice with a veggie burger or with a meatless chili.

  Info also available at: http://www.beefinfo.org/pdf/IAW.pdf

  If you have any questions or concerns about iron, talk to a registered dietitian or your family doctor.

  Source:
  Beef Information Centre

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