Iron Absorption for Vegetarians

Iron. Are you getting enough iron as a vegan or vegetarian? Heme iron (derived from red meats)  technically has a larger percentage of absorption in our systems (about 15%-35%) but since that's not an option for us, we tend to take in non-heme iron (derived from plant sources).  The absorption percentage is lower at about 2%-20%. And, did you know that tannins in tea can decrease your iron absorption? So will calcium and some proteins found in soybeans!  So what can we do?

Eating foods that are also vitamin C rich at the same time as iron-rich foods will improve the absorption rate.  Cooking foods in iron cookware is also a good idea and, if you're prone to iron deficiency, taking a iron supplement might be an option but make sure you check with your doctor first (now there are some mild supplements that don't have the horrible intestinal side effects of their predecessors).  If you want to learn more, go to the National Institute of Health's webpage at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron

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