NAIROBI: Last week I wrote about how one can improve their iron levels by increasing their intake of iron rich sources.
When it comes to meatless diets, apart from the fact that plant sources contain non-heme iron which is less efficiently absorbed than heme iron from animal sources, another aspect of concern when it comes to iron is ‘bio-availability’. This means that what percentage of iron taken in is actually available for the body to use.
Iron’s bio-availability is affected by its interactions with other nutrients. There are nutrients that promote better iron absorption like Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) found mostly in vegetables and fruits, especially citrus fruits. It is also found in tomatoes, so cooking iron rich foods with tomatoes is beneficial.
However, there are some foods that contain compounds that decrease the availability of iron for use by the body. Diets high in unrefined and un-fermented cereals, like whole maize and whole beans among others, are very high in phytates, which are known to make iron unavailable for absorption. It is therefore highly recommended to soak cereals and legumes for a minimum of one or two hours before cooking so as to get rid of the phytates in them.
Vegetarians who depend on dairy products for protein are also advised to watch their meal combinations. Dairy products are rich in calcium which inhibits iron absorption and thus it is recommended not to combine iron rich foods with dairy products in one meal.
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Vegetables like spinach, amaranth, parsley, cassava and sweet potatoes have a high content of oxalic acid, a compound which reduces iron’s bio-availability. Combined with the fact that the iron in them is non-heme iron, they should therefore not be combined with other vegetables, for example, mixing spinach with kale. These vegetables should be consumed when accompanied by vitamin C rich sources.
People on meatless diets also need to reduce intake of coffee and tea due to their polyphenols content. Polyphenols reduce iron absorption thus leading to low iron levels.
