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Foods to Fight Iron-Deficiency Anaemia
Dietetic Department
August 17, 2021
Iron deficiency (lack of iron) is the most common cause of anaemia (lack of red blood cell in the body). Without enough iron, your body can’t produce enough haemoglobin, a substance in red blood cell that helps to carry oxygen to the body organs and tissues. This is why a person with anaemia may feel weak, tired, and irritable as the body is not able to carry enough oxygen.
There are many causes of iron deficiency including blood loss and insufficient intake of dietary iron. The recommended iron intake based on Recommended Nutrients Intake for Malaysia 2017 are:
Women aged 19 & above : 20-29mg/day Fe
Men aged 19 & above : 9-14mg/day Fe
Pregnancy women : 840mg Fe
Iron is essential during growth and development, pregnant women as well as people with certain health conditions.
Iron-deficiency anaemia can be treated with:
- Iron supplement
- Intravenous (IV) iron therapy
- Intravenous (IV) iron Blood transfusion
- Eating high iron food and foods that help to boost iron absorption
In foods, iron is present in two forms: heme and non-heme.
Heme iron is the best form of iron where it is readily absorbed by your body. Non-heme iron is absorbed much less efficiently due to its phytate, polyphenols and fiber content. For example, the iron absorption of a serving of steak is 20% whereas the iron absorption for a serving of cooked spinach is 1.4%. Therefore, it is very important for us to what are the dietary factors that can boost or inhibit the iron absorption in the body.
HEME IRON
VS
NON-HEME IRON
Animal only
Sources
Animal/Plant
High
Absorption rate
Low
- Beef & Chicken Liver
- Oysters, Clams & Mussels
- Beef
- Canned Sardines
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Fish (Halibut, Haddock, Salmon, Tuna)
- Ham
- Veal
Food sources
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Spinach (cooked)
- Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Tofu
- Beans & lentils
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Baked potato with skin
- Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc.)
- Nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachio, etc.)
HEME IRON
Source: Animal only
Absorption rate: High
Food Sources:
- Beef & Chicken Liver
- Oysters, Clams & Mussels
- Beef
- Canned Sardines
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Fish (Halibut, Haddock, Salmon, Tuna)
- Ham
- Veal
NON-HEME IRON
Sources: Animal/Plant
Absorption rate: Low
Food Sources:
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Spinach (cooked)
- Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Tofu
- Beans & lentils
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Baked potato with skin
- Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc.)
- Nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachio, etc.)
Foods that can interfere with iron absorption
- Caffeine
- Calcium and phosphorus (milk/dairy)
- Phytate/Fiber
- Oxalate
Tricks to maximise your iron absorption
- Avoid drinking tea or coffee with meals
- Avoid eating foods rich in calcium with those rich in iron
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) helps to boost the iron absorption. Vitamin C must be present in the same meal with non-heme iron to enhance iron absorption. For example: Drinking citrus juice such as orange juice along with meals, drizzle lemon juice over leafy greens, get some vitamin C rich fruits such as guava, papaya along with meal.
