Vegetarian diets are gaining popularity due to various health benefits. However, some vegetarian diets may depend too much on processed foods, which contain too many calories, sugar, fat and salt. To maximize the benefits of a vegetarian diet, choosing a variety of healthy plant-based foods, such as whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while reducing the intake of less healthy options, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices and refined grains, is essential. Iron is one of the essential nutrients that requires special attention.
Why Iron Matters
Iron is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in numerous bodily functions. Its primary function is to help produce hemoglobin in red blood cells, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Iron is also used to make myoglobin, which stores oxygen in muscle cells. In addition, iron is a component of many important enzymes, which are substances that speed up chemical reactions in the body. Iron also plays an important role in physical growth, brain development, cell function, and the production of certain hormones.
Iron in Vegetarian Diets: Addressing the Myths
There is a common misconception that a vegetarian diet lacks iron, but vegans are no more likely to develop iron deficiency anemia than the general population. Vegans typically consume an adequate amount of iron because their diet is high in vitamin C, which improves absorption of non-heme iron.
Although red meat and seafood are good sources of iron, many plant-based foods also contain plenty of this mineral. Numerous vegetables, legumes, and other foods contain a form of iron called nonheme iron, which accounts for the majority of people’s iron intake in the United States. The type of iron in animal products is called heme iron.
Heme vs. Non-Heme Iron: Understanding the Difference
Food has two types of iron: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry. It is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed by your body. You absorb up to 30 percent of the heme iron that you consume. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables and nuts. Foods with non-heme iron are still an important part of a nutritious, well-balanced diet, but the iron contained in these foods won’t be absorbed as completely. When you eat heme iron with foods higher in non-heme iron, the iron will be more completely absorbed by your body.
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The iron found in foods exists in two forms: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in animal products whereas non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods. Generally speaking, vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower (sometimes even critically low) blood iron levels when compared to meat eaters. And that’s despite getting as much, or sometimes even more iron from their diets . To account for this, vegetarians and vegans are encouraged to eat ± 1.8 times more iron than meat-eaters.
Recommended Iron Intake for Vegetarians
The National Institutes of Health recommend that women over the age of 50 years and all adult men get 8 mg of iron daily. Women aged between 19 and 50 years should aim for 18 mg per day, while pregnant women require 27 mg of iron for fetal health. However, some sources suggest that vegetarians and vegans may need up to 1.8 times these amounts because the body does not absorb nonheme iron as easily as it does heme iron. The average amount of iron a vegan needs is 32 milligrams per day for women and 14 milligrams per day for men. Vegans need up to 1.8 times more iron than people who eat meat.
Iron-Rich Foods for Vegetarians and Vegans
By selecting the right foods, people eating a vegetarian or vegan diet can meet their daily iron requirements without needing to take supplements.
Legumes
Legumes, including beans, peas, and lentils, are excellent sources of iron.
- Lentils: Each cup of cooked lentils contains 6.59 milligrams (mg) of iron and 17.86 grams (g) of protein.
- Cannellini Beans: Also known as white kidney beans, provide 5.2 mg of iron per cup.
- Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas): 4.74 mg of iron per cup.
- Black-Eyed Peas: 3.59 mg of iron per cup.
- Red Kidney Beans: 3.59 mg of iron per cup.
- Tofu: A half-cup serving contains 6.65 mg of iron and about 10 g of protein.
- Tempeh: One cup has 4.5 milligrams of iron.
- Soybeans: 9.1 mg per cup raw.
- Natto (fermented soybeans): 15.1 mg per cup cooked
People can include brown, red, or green lentils in soups, stews, curries, salads, and other meals. Beans are a very versatile food, and they work well as an ingredient in many dishes, including tacos, chili, soups, salads, and bean dips.
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Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds serve as two more iron-rich plant sources. Those who wish to increase their total daily iron intake should add the following varieties to their diet, as they contain the highest amounts:
- Macadamia Nuts: 3.5 mg per cup dry roasted
- Almonds: 5.3 mg per cup whole
- Pine Nuts: 7.5 mg per cup dried
- Cashews: 7.8 mg per cup whole
- Flaxseeds: 9.6 mg per cup whole
- Pumpkin Seeds: 11.4 mg per cup dried
- Sesame Seeds: 21 mg per cup dried; 1.3 mg per 2 tablespoons (tbs) of tahini
Vegetables
The following vegetables and vegetable-derived products offer the most iron per serving:
- Broccoli: 1 mg per cup chopped, cooked
- Oyster Mushrooms: 1.1 mg per cup raw
- Brussels Sprouts: 1.8 mg per cup cooked
- Baked Potatoes: 1.9 mg per large unpeeled potato
- Tomato Paste and Canned Tomatoes: 2 mg per 1/4 cup and 2.4 mg per cup
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: 2.5 mg per half cup
- Beet Greens: 2.7 mg per cup cooked
- White Mushrooms: 2.7 mg per cup cooked
- Swiss Chard: 3.9 mg per cup cooked
- Palm Hearts: 4.6 mg per cup canned
- Spinach: One cup of cooked spinach provides 6.4 milligrams of iron.
Most people find it easy to incorporate more spinach into their diets by sautéing or steaming the vegetable and adding it to soups and stir-fries. Raw spinach can also be an ingredient in smoothies and salads.
Fruits
Some fruits are surprisingly high in iron. Here are the best sources of iron in this category.
- Mulberries: 2.6 mg per cup
- Prune Juice: 2.9 mg per cup
- Black Olives: 8.5 mg per cup raw
- Dried Apricots: A cup of dried apricot halves contains 4.1 mg of iron.
Whole Grains
The following are types of whole grains containing the most iron per portion.
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- Oats: 2.1 mg per cup cooked
- Quinoa: 2.8 mg per cup cooked
- Spelt: 3.24 mg per cup
- Amaranth: 5.2 mg per cup cooked
- Cheerios Breakfast Cereal: 8.1 mg per cup
- Special K Breakfast Cereal: 8.7 mg per cup
Other Sources
Certain foods do not fit in one of the food groups above, yet contain significant amounts of iron. Adding them to your diet can help you meet your recommended daily iron intake.
- Dried Thyme: 1.2 mg or 1 tsp dried
- Blackstrap Molasses: 1.9 mg or 2 tbs. Only 2 tablespoon contains 7.2 milligrams of iron. Molasses contains higher amounts of sugar, so intake should be limited.
- Dark Chocolate: 3.4 mg/oz. A 3-ounce serving of dark chocolate provides 7 mg of iron. Cocoa is also one of the best sources of flavonoid antioxidants, which may provide heart benefits, protect nerves, boost immunity, and improve cognitive function and mood.
Maximizing Iron Absorption
A person can increase the amount of iron that their body absorbs from plant-based sources by eating iron-rich foods alongside a source of vitamin C.
- Eat Vitamin C-Rich Foods: Consuming vitamin C-rich foods at the same time as foods rich in non-heme iron can help increase iron absorption. Vitamin C helps you absorb iron because it converts it into a more soluble form.
Good sources of vitamin C include:
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Cantaloupe melon
Cauliflower
Citrus fruits
Kiwi fruit
Leafy green vegetables
Mango
Papaya
Strawberries
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Add Garlic and Onion to Your Meals: These vegetables, whether fresh or as spices, contain allium. Allium is a compound that may help your body absorb the iron found in leafy vegetables more easily.
Avoid Coffee and Tea with Meals: Drinking coffee and tea can reduce iron absorption. A cup of tea, for example, contains tannins, these compounds bind to iron, so it's best to enjoy your cuppa away from your main meal, or at least wait an hour after you've eaten.
Soak, Sprout, and Ferment: Soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains and legumes can improve iron absorption by lowering the amount of phytates naturally present in these foods.
Use a Cast Iron Pan: Foods prepared in a cast iron pan may provide more iron than those prepared in non-iron cookware.
Consume Lysine-Rich Foods: Plant foods like legumes and quinoa are good sources of protein, which are rich in several amino acids that may help increase iron absorption.
Minimize Inhibitors: They should also avoid foods, beverages, and supplements that reduce iron absorption for up to 2 hours before and after iron-rich meals. Some foods promote your absorption of iron, others can hinder it. Other foods, such as wholegrains and legumes, contain compounds called phytates. Dairy foods like yogurt, cheese and milk, as well as eggs, may interfere with iron absorption because casein from milk and certain forms of calcium are thought to inhibit our ability to absorb iron.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Low iron intake or absorption can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms may include:
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Pale skin
- Heart palpitations
- Headaches
- Cold hands and feet
- A sore tongue
- Brittle nails
- Poor appetite
- Breathlessness
- Poor memory and concentration
- Decreased libido
- Being prone to infections
- Irregular heartbeat
- Irritability
- Hair loss
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Chest pain
Anyone who is experiencing these symptoms should see a doctor.
There are a few ways to tell whether you’re getting enough iron from your diet. First, you can fill out a few days worth of meals and snacks in an online food journal, such as Cronometer. Make sure to select your foods from one of the available food databases. Doing this instead of selecting foods from specific brands or ones that you’ve entered yourself will produce more accurate results. Your can then compare your average iron intake across a few days to the increased recommended intakes for vegetarians and vegans I’ve mentioned above. Another way to tell whether you’re getting enough iron is to keep an eye out for symptoms of iron deficiency. There are three stages of iron deficiency. The bigger the iron deficiency, the more severe the symptoms tend to be. Keep in mind that earlier stages of iron deficiency can be present with few to no symptoms. So you may only notice a problem when it’s already quite progressed. An arguably better way to check whether you’re getting enough iron from your diet is to get a blood test. More specifically, getting both your blood hemoglobin and ferritin levels checked regularly. I recommend getting these tested on a yearly basis, especially if you haven’t gotten them tested recently. Your test results may confirm that you’re getting enough iron from your diet. Or they may help detect low iron levels before they progress to iron-deficiency anemia. If your yearly hemoglobin and ferritin levels consistently come back within the normal range, feel free to test them less regularly.
Iron Supplements
Supplements are often necessary when you need to increase your iron levels or reverse iron-deficiency anemia quickly. They can also be tremendously helpful if you are unable to maintain adequate iron levels through your diet alone. For instance, due to the increased requirements of pregnancy. For children that are picky eaters. Or if you have allergies or other dietary restrictions that make it difficult to meet your daily iron needs. That said, too much of a good thing can be harmful. Excess iron supplementation can also damage your cells. In severe cases, it may even lead to organ failure, coma, or death . These side-effects can happen in both adults and children. However, they are especially fatal in children. This is why it’s always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before starting to take high dosages of iron supplements. They can keep a close eye on your blood iron levels, adjust the dosage accordingly, and tell you to stop taking your supplements when they are no longer necessary.
Starting a Vegetarian Diet
One way to start on a vegetarian diet is to slowly reduce the meat in your diet. At the same time, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- Ramp Up: Each week increase the number of meatless meals you already enjoy, such as spaghetti with tomato sauce or vegetable stir-fry. Find ways to include greens in your daily meals.
- Substitute: Take favorite recipes and try them without meat. For example, make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans. Or make fajitas using extra-firm tofu rather than chicken.
- Branch Out: Check the internet for vegetarian menus. Buy or borrow vegetarian cookbooks. Check out ethnic restaurants to sample new vegetarian cuisines.
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