One of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world is iron deficiency. This is even more prevalent among vegans. Hence, many have come to the conclusion that the vegan diet may not provide enough iron. Yet this conclusion may have been made prematurely.
Iron is an essential nutrient that is necessary to transport oxygen and nutrients to your cells. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for adult women over 19 years of age is 18 milligrams and 8 milligrams for males. Yet, vegetarians who eliminate meat often suffer from anemia, which can be due to an iron deficiency. In fact, a 2018 study published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine showed that a higher proportion of vegetarians, compared to non-vegetarians, had iron deficiency anemia.
This is in large part due to the type of iron available in plant based foods. Essentially, iron is available in two forms, which include heme and non-heme. Most easily absorbed by the body is heme iron, which is found in meat, poultry, and fish. Meanwhile, non-heme iron, which is found in vegetables, is not as easily absorbed by the body.
Yet, one work around for this issue is vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body use iron. So by combining iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C you effectively increase your iron intake.
Some iron-rich foods includes:
- Legumes (lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans, black beans, chickpeas)
- Grains (quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal)
- Tofu
- Blackstrap molasses
- Green leafy vegetables (Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens, spinach)
- Nuts & seeds (pumpkin, hemp, chia, squash, pine, pistachio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame)
- Prune juice
- Dried fruit (apricots, raisins, figs)
Ultimately, learning how to create a healthy balance of diversified foods that includes enough iron combined with vitamin C is key. So add good sources of vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron. Some good vitamin C sources may include pepper, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwi fruit, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit or orange juice.
The benefits of consuming vegetarian diets have been well established. So there is no need for deficiencies in iron to compromise that. Before jumping to the conclusion that your vegan diet may not provide enough iron, implement the necessary dietary changes. You can thrive on a plant based diet that is iron-rich. It may just take some intentional meal planning that adequately provides enough variety of nourishing foods.
