Iron and a Raw Food, Vegan Diet
Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse a good source of iron. Recipe here: Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse
I have been amazed at how many people I know are being diagnosed as having low iron. A sign of the times? What amazes me even more is it seems that the standard recommendation for people with low iron is to eat red meat. Somehow, we have been conditioned to believe that it seems to make sense. But does it really? And what happens if you are on a raw food diet, or are a vegan or vegetarian? Where do you get your iron? Are animal products really the best way?
A search for the top ten iron containing foods resulted in some very interesting facts. At the top of the list was dried herbs, followed by our friend, cacao which is very high in iron, fiber, and anti-oxidants. Pumpkin and squash seeds, sesame seeds (tahini) and sun dried tomatoes also have significant amounts. And don’t forget about your dried apricots and sunflower seeds!
Consider this: 1 serving (3 oz) of beef liver contains 36% of the RDA for iron, while only 1 tablespoon of dried thyme contains 21%.
It is important to point out that there are two types of iron, heme and non-heme. Heme iron is the iron that is present in animal products and is digested more easily than non-heme iron, the type found in plants. But simply adding food containing vitamin C along with your non-heme iron foods increases digestibility. It is also important to note that non-heme iron is better regulated by the body and protects against the possible toxic effects of too much iron.
It is quite easy to get high quality iron from your plant food. We just need to do our research and develop a new mindset. Tomorrow I will post a wonderful Christmas fudge recipe loaded with iron!
Tahini wrote on July 3, 2014
whoa, thank you very much for posting this! It is going to aid me when I buy Sesame Tahini at the market! Very Beautiful!