Iron belongs to the micronutrients and is an essential trace element.
I will introduce you to what is probably the best-known micronutrient: IRON.
Iron is responsible for the oxygen supply and thus for energy production in the whole body. The iron in meat is very similar to our haemoglobin, which is why the body can absorb it particularly well. However, you can also cover your iron requirements with plant-based foods, but you need to take a few key factors into account, such as the inhibitors or the food combination.
Comparison of animal vs. plant iron.
▽ 1 portion of pepper linseed (steamed) provides just as much iron as 1 portion of calf's liver.
▽ Steamed black salsify provides as much iron as a cooked deer (1 portion each).
▽ And 1 portion of steamed spinach easily replaces 1 portion of cooked beef.
Just imagine how much iron these foods provide in their raw form!
Overview
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Function of iron
Energy supplier | Iron is responsible for the supply of oxygen throughout the body. Oxygen brings energy to the cells.
Inhibitors & booster
Certain substances inhibit the absorption of iron in the body. For example.
▽ Tannins: red wine, green tea, black tea, beer, pulses, cereals, apples, berries...
▽ Oxalic acid: spinach, beetroot, rhubarb, cocoa, black tea...
▽ Phytate: cereals, maize, soya.
▽ Phosphate: Processed cheese, ready-made products, dairy products, meat and sausage products...
▽ Others: Wheat bran, coffee...
But there is a little trick. If you soak these foods before eating them, the content of inhibitors is reduced or they are even completely broken down.
But there are also good combinations. If you combine iron-containing foods with vitamin C (orange, lemon, hot peppers, fennel, broccoli...), the iron absorption increases by a factor of
3 to 4 times!
Daily requirement
Iron is not only age-dependent but also gender-dependent. A pregnant woman has the highest need.
Plantbased sources
These top 5 foods meet the daily requirement of 10mg:
15-30g chlorella & spirulina each
20g wheatgrass powder
120g pumpkin seeds
125g hemp seeds & alfalfa sprouts each
150g Seseam
Other foods (sorted by content, top to low)
Poppy seeds (155g), tempeh, amaranth, linseed, nettle, pistachios, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, oats, salsify (steamed), parsley, daisies, spinach, buckwheat, kale, redcurrant (500g)...
Deficiency
An iron deficiency often manifests itself with fatigue, paleness, headaches and/or an increased risk of infection, i.e. a weakened immune system. Personally, I have also not noticed it and therefore have not taken any measures. In this context, I would like to share something personal with you, because I suffer from a severe chronic iron deficiency. For 15 years the iron was simply replenished by infusion. Until, during my studies, I began to question why my iron kept depleting like this. I also had other symptoms, such as severe mineral loss. This manifested itself in severe emaciation no matter what diet I followed. But especially the purely healthy diet made me lose a lot of weight and I quickly realised that there was a nutrient robber in my body. After many attempts and forms of nutrition, as well as therapies, the secret was revealed. I suffer from cryptopyrroluria (KPU). KPU is a metabolic disorder that causes a loss of minerals. That's how I explain my chronic iron loss. If you also suffer from recurrent anaemia, then it might be worth testing the KPU. Because untreated KPU can lead to secondary diseases.
xoxo your good-life coach Claudia 💋
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