Iron deficiency

Iron helps the body in many important processes. For example, it is an essential part of haemoglobin, the red pigment in our blood that allows it to carry oxygen around the body.

Low iron levels

If iron levels are low, the amount of haemoglobin in our red blood cells, as well as the number of red blood cells, is reduced. This is called anaemia.

Symptoms include tiredness and lethargy, difficulty concentrating and a shortened attention span.

All the tissues and cells in the body depend on oxygen to function properly; if they receive less oxygen, they won't work so well.

On average, adult men need 8.7mg of iron a day. For women the figure is 14.8mg.

Foods containing iron

Red meat is the richest source of iron. The iron in animal sources is absorbed easily by the body.

There is also iron in pulses (such as lentils and beans), dried fruit, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and in fortified breakfast cereals. The iron in these foods is not so easily absorbed by the body.

Food	Serving size	Iron supplied
2 thick slices of lean roast beef	90g	2.3mg
3 tablespoons of baked beans	120g	1.7mg
A boiled egg	50g	1mg
Wholemeal bread (1 average slice)	36g	1mg
Sardines canned in oil (average sandwich filling)	50g	1.5mg
An average bowl of fortified breakfast cereal	45g	3mg
2 dried figs	40g	1.7mg
Dark roast turkey meat (average serving)	120g	1.7mg
A tablespoonful of sesame seeds	12g	1.2mg
Spring greens boiled	90g	1.3mg
An average glass of red wine	125g	1.1mg

Liver is another rich source of iron, but it is also very high in vitamin A. So if you eat liver or liver products such as pâté every week, you might want to choose not to have it more often and you should avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oils (which are high in vitamin A).

People at a higher risk of osteoporosis, which includes women who have been through the menopause and older men, should also avoid having too much vitamin A.

If you're pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant you should avoid eating liver and liver products because of the amount of vitamin A they contain.

Absorbing iron

Tea and coffee contain compounds, called polyphenols, which can bind with iron making it harder for our bodies to absorb it, so cutting down on tea and coffee could help to improve iron levels in the body. This is particularly important for young or pregnant women who are most at risk of iron deficiency anaemia. Young women are particularly vulnerable to being low in iron because this is the time they start their periods.

Vitamin C might help us to absorb iron. So, for example, having a glass of orange juice with a meal, or having vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green peppers or potatoes (all good sources of vitamin C) we might be able to increase the amount of iron our bodies get from our food.

Meals and snacks

The following suggestions for meals and snacks can help to boost your iron intake. They include foods that are rich in iron and foods that might help your body absorb it.

Breakfast

• fortified breakfast cereal, such as wholewheat biscuits with semi-skimmed milk
• poached egg, baked beans, grilled tomato, two reduced-fat sausages, wholemeal toast
• a glass of orange or grapefruit juice with one of these breakfasts

Lunch

• chicken salad (watercress, grilled lean chicken without the skin, tomatoes, raw grated carrot)
• sardines on wholemeal toast
• bean salad (chickpeas, red kidney beans, butter beans, onion, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cucumber, tomato)
• pitta bread with houmous, red pepper and celery
• a glass of juice or a smoothie with one of these lunches

Dinner

• beef or vegetable stir-fry
• low-fat grilled beefburger in a bun and oven chips
• spaghetti bolognese with lamb mince, peas and kidney beans (for a vegetarian option use soya mince and lentils)
• a glass of juice with the above or some fruit (fresh, frozen, tinned or dried) to follow

Snacks

• almonds
• dried apricots or raisins
• small bar of dark chocolate
• slice of gingerbread cake
• small flapjack