Eating these 7 foods to supplement iron is not reliable!

What can you eat to "replenish iron and blood, and have a rosy complexion"? This is a topic that many people are concerned about. According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is recommended that adult women consume 20 mg of iron per day and men 12 mg. In this regard, the public recommends 7 kinds of iron-supplementing foods such as brown sugar, spinach, egg yolks, and cherries. Are they reliable? What are the real iron-supplementing foods?

01 Can brown sugar water supplement iron?

The truth: The effect is average.

The iron content of brown sugar per 100 grams is 2.2 mg, that of rock sugar is 1.4 mg, and that of white sugar is 0.6 mg. In this comparison, brown sugar is indeed slightly better. However, the iron in brown sugar is not heme iron, and its absorption and utilization rate is poor. Moreover, each time you soak in water, you only use 1 piece of brown sugar, which is about 5 grams, and the iron content is about 0.088 mg, which is far from the daily recommended iron intake.

In addition, brown sugar is added sugar. Eating too much will not only easily cause tooth decay, but also increase the risk of obesity.

02 Does spinach supplement iron?

The truth: The effect is limited.

The saying "eating spinach can supplement iron" has been around for a long time. The iron content of spinach is 2.9 mg per 100 grams, which is 2.2 times that of Chinese cabbage. The iron content is richer than most commonly eaten vegetables, but it is not reliable to supplement iron by eating it. Because the iron contained in spinach is non-heme iron, the absorption rate is low, and it also contains a lot of oxalic acid, which will interfere with the absorption and utilization of minerals, so spinach is not a recommended food for iron supplementation.

03 Can egg yolk supplement iron?

The truth: Iron is abundant but difficult to absorb.

Many mothers will use egg yolk as the first food for their babies after they start eating complementary foods, thinking that egg yolk can supplement iron for their babies. In fact, this is not the case.

The iron content of egg yolk is 6.5 mg per 100 grams, which is indeed very high. However, the yolk of an egg is about 15 grams, and the iron intake of eating an egg yolk is about 1 mg, which is not high. In addition, the egg yolk also contains phospholipids, which inhibits the absorption and utilization of iron, and ultimately leads to an absorption rate of only 3% of the iron in the egg yolk. It is really not possible to supplement iron by eating it.

04 Do cherries supplement iron?

The truth: It has nothing to do with iron supplementation.

Cherries cannot supplement iron. According to the data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutrient database, the iron content of cherries per 100 grams is only 0.36 mg. With such a low iron content, it is better not to rely on eating cherries to supplement iron.

05 Does red amaranth supplement iron?

The truth: The iron content is very low and the absorption rate is poor.

When amaranth is blanched or fried, the soup will turn red, and blood is also red, so many people think that eating amaranth can replenish iron and blood.

In fact, amaranth is red because it is rich in anthocyanins and betacyanins, not because of its high iron content. The iron content of amaranth is 2.9 mg per 100 grams, which is also non-heme iron and has a poor absorption rate. However, amaranth has a very good calcium content, 178 mg per 100 grams, which is 2.7 times that of spinach and higher than that of rapeseed.

06 Does wolfberry supplement iron?

The truth: Iron supplements are not effective.

"Soaking wolfberries in a thermos cup" has become a standard for middle-aged people. Some people believe that wolfberries can replenish iron and blood, making people look better.

The iron content of wolfberry is indeed not low. Whether it is red wolfberry or black wolfberry, the iron content per 100 grams is 5.4 mg, which is higher than spinach. However, we usually soak a few wolfberries in water or make soup, and the amount we eat is limited. The iron contained in it is also non-heme iron, and the iron supplement effect is poor.

07 Can red beans supplement iron?

The truth: It doesn’t work very well.

The red beans seem to be rich in iron, but in fact they are not very effective in supplementing iron.

The iron content of red beans is 7.4 mg per 100 grams, which is quite prominent and 2.2 times that of chickpeas, but it is non-heme iron and is not well absorbed.

Although it is not very effective in supplementing iron, it is good for supplementing potassium. The potassium content of every 100 grams of red beans is as high as 860 mg. Eating 50 grams a day can meet 21.5% of the daily potassium requirement of the general population.

Eat these to supplement iron scientifically

Beef tenderloin. Beef tenderloin is almost lean meat and appears frequently on the table. It is a good choice for iron supplementation. The iron content of beef tenderloin is 4.4 mg per 100 grams, which is nearly 3 times that of pork tenderloin. Eating 75 grams of beef tenderloin every day can meet 16.5% of the daily iron requirement of an average woman. Common dishes include beef fried with coriander, beef slices with cumin, beef with black pepper and king oyster mushrooms, beef fried with garlic sprouts, etc.

▲ Pork liver . Animal liver is an important source of iron. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends eating animal liver 2-3 times a month. After all, its cholesterol content is not low, so it is recommended to eat 25-30 grams each time. The iron content of every 100 grams of pork liver is 23.2 mg. Eating 30 grams of pork liver can provide 7 grams of iron, which can meet 35% of the daily iron requirement of an average woman. Common dishes include fried pork liver with onions, fried pork liver with chili peppers, spinach pork liver soup, tomato pork liver soup, etc.

▲ Animal blood . Common animal blood includes chicken blood, pig blood, and duck blood. Duck blood is especially a must-have ingredient for hot pot. It not only tastes good, but also supplements iron and protein. In terms of iron content, the highest iron content of white duck blood is 30.5 mg per 100 grams, which is 3.5 times that of pig blood; the iron content of female duck blood is even higher, at 39.6 mg per 100 grams. Eating 50 grams can meet nearly 100% of the daily iron requirement of women. Common dishes include duck blood vermicelli soup, fried duck blood with leeks, fried duck blood with chili peppers, and duck blood tofu soup.

▲ Razor clams . As a shellfish seafood, the iron content of razor clams is 33.6 mg per 100 g, which is 7.6 times that of beef tenderloin and 22.4 times that of pork tenderloin. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that adults eat 280-525 g of aquatic products per week, averaging 40-75 g per day. If you can eat 75 g of razor clams, you can supplement 25.2 mg of iron. Common dishes include garlic razor clams, razor clam tofu soup, stir-fried razor clams, scallion oil razor clams, razor clam vermicelli soup, etc.

(The author is a registered dietitian)