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Do Vegetarians Get Enough Iron? |
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Friday, 19 May 2006 |
 Question: How can vegetarians get Iron from plant foods? Spinach, as well-advertised by Popeye, is known to be the best vegetable provider of iron and other minerals. If you've been consuming buckets of spinach daily and thought your iron is in check, sorry to disappoint you. Spinach is no better than broccoli, cabbage, and sprouts in providing sufficient amounts of this mineral and it takes quadruple servings to do any good.
The snag here is that the iron from plant sources, known as non-heme iron, is less readily absorbed by the body than the iron from animal sources, or heme iron. Calcium from dairy products and vitamin C from fruit and vegetables assist iron absorption, when tea, coffee, cola, and phytic acid (found in unmilled grains) do the opposite. So, in this case, being a carnivore is more advantageous than eating a vegetarian diet. But the bottom line stays the same across the board - well-balanced frequent meals and milti-vitamin-mineral supplement daily will ensure your good health. |
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