What is iron responsible for?
Iron is one of the essential nutrients that must be taken in with food. It is considered a potentially critical nutrient in the vegan diet. However, according to the WHO, iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency that can also occur in a mixed diet.
Iron belongs to the trace elements in the human body and is important for the formation of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the red pigment of the red blood cells that binds oxygen and supplies all organs with oxygen from the lungs via the bloodstream.
How much iron is needed?
The need for iron depends on gender and age. A pre-menopausal woman has a higher iron requirement (15mg/day) than a man of the same age (10mg/day). During pregnancy, the iron requirement even increases to 30mg daily.
What plant foods contain iron?
The most iron is contained in seeds such as pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds or flax seeds. Oatmeal and quinoa also contain a lot of iron. Leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, arugula and some herbs such as parsley or basil also contain high levels of iron.
Iron: Conclusion
It is easily possible to meet the daily requirement of iron with plant foods.
In principle, foods containing iron should be spread over several meals so that the iron can be absorbed well. Some substances can even improve iron absorption. These include, for example, vitamin C, citric acid or the secondary plant substance beta-carotene.