Iron-Rich Foods The Whole Family Can Enjoy

There are a huge variety of vitamins and minerals that the human body needs to function as well as it possibly can. Some of these vitamins are tough to obtain; Vitamin D, for example, is near impossible to find sufficient sources of in food, so it should be an important part of your daily supplements intake. Other vitamins and minerals are easier to obtain… yet there are still high levels of deficiency in the general population.

One of the most common nutrient deficiencies is an iron deficiency, which is usually called anemia. Iron is vital to the health of your hemoglobin; the cells that transport oxygen to your brain. If you are running low on iron, then you’ll feel it– the most common symptoms of anemia include lightheadedness, breathlessness, and fatigue.

Unlike Vitamin D, iron is rather abundant in food sources. Unless you have an underlying condition, you shouldn’t need to supplement provided you are eating a diet full of iron-rich foods, such as…

Dark green, leafy vegetables

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They may not be everyone’s first choice of ingredient, but there is no doubt about it: green, leafy, dark vegetables are just about the most nutrient-rich foodstuff on the planet. Kale, chard, broccoli, spinach– if you want to ensure that your iron levels are kept topped up, then these are all essentials that you’re going to want to add to your recipes.

Seafood

Seafood from the likes of Citarella is incredibly nutrient-dense. Shellfish is the particular star of the show, but any food that originates in the sea can generally be relied upon to have excellent levels of iron. As well as the boost for your red blood cells, seafood is full of a huge number of other beneficial vitamins and minerals in large quantities, so every portion is a complete health boost in and of itself.

Dark chocolate

For a sweet treat, dark chocolate is an excellent choice, both for your iron levels and for general health benefits. However, it’s important to find real dark chocolate, rather than dark varieties that are groaning under the weight of excess additional sugar. Good dark chocolate should be bitter, and it should provide a clean crack noise when snapped– if it crumbles or tastes sweet, then there’s likely added milk and sugar, which reduces the potential for health benefits.

Nuts

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All nuts are a good source of iron, as well as a number of beneficial minerals and healthy fats. If you want the biggest iron boost you can find, then pistachios should find a way into your general diet, as these have the highest iron levels of all nuts. Generally, though, when it comes to nuts, you can’t go wrong in terms of health benefits.

In conclusion

While you can supplement iron if you see fit, for most people, filling their diet with the items above is by far the best way of ensuring your red blood cells have all the support they need.