Iron Deficiency

IRON DEFICIENCY is the #1 nutrient deficiency in the world 🌎 regardless of the type of diet being consumed. In fact, some people can eat meat 🥩 3 times per day and still be deficient in iron. 🤯

There are 2 TYPES OF IRON:

1. Heme Iron comes from blood 🩸 and is only found in animal products 🥩.

2. Non-Heme Iron comes from plants 🌱.

The iron found in animal blood 🩸 is comprised of 40% heme iron and 60% non-heme iron while the iron in plants 🌱 is 100% non-heme iron.

Heme iron is absorbed more rapidly than non-heme iron but heme iron is also linked to increases in both cardiovascular ❤️ disease and colorectal 💩 cancer. 😢

These plant 🌱 foods are very rich in non-heme iron:

• Legumes (beans, peas, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts etc...)

• Pumpkin 🎃 Seeds

• Dark Leafy Greens 🥬

• Dried Apricots

• Chlorella (a superfood supplement made from algae)

Vitamin C enhances the absorption of non-heme iron so consider pairing your 🌱 iron source with one of these Vitamin C rich ABSORPTION ENHANCERS:

• Lemon 🍋 juice (squeeze over greens)

• Strawberries 🍓

• Bell Peppers 🫑

GARLIC 🧄 and ONION 🧅 have also been shown to significantly enhance the absorption of iron. Most home-cooked 🏠 meals should start with garlic and onion (and most of your meals should be home-cooked 🏠. 😉)

Finally, avoid these ABSORPTION INHIBITORS in and around meal times:

• Coffee ☕️

• Tea 🫖

Reference:

The Rich Roll Podcast: Hill S. Simon Hill On Optimizing Plant-Based Nutrition For Health, Longevity & Athletic Performance. February 28, 2022. Accessed March 5, 2022. http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rich-roll-podcast/id582272991?i=1000552428518