One of the most important minerals in human nutrition is iron, which plays the role of transporting oxygen throughout the blood vessels and contributing to energy levels in general. Vegetarians and vegans may find it difficult to attain the world daily iron recommendation compared to omnivores, because herbivorous sources of iron contain non-heme iron, which is less absorbable than the heme iron made of animal food.
Although numerous plant-based dieters are mindful of featuring iron-fortified foods like legumes, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds as a part of their daily meals, there are some sneaky traps that can severely limit the proportion of iron consumed that the body actually assimilates. In some cases, the problem is not the absence of iron but rather, the presence of dietary factors in the intake of food which inhibit absorption of the iron.
In this article we briefly look at the most frequent errors made by vegetarians and vegans that impact iron absorption, and we provide solutions to overcome them in order to absorb iron as efficiently as possible (naturally).
Why Iron Absorption Is Important to Plant-Based Diets
Vegetarians usually eat lentils, beans, tofu, spinach, fortified cereals and seeds as the source of iron. Nevertheless, iron contained in these sources has a low bioavailability in contrast to animal-derived products. Although about 15-35% of iron is readily absorbed on an omnivorous diet, vegetarian and vegan diets have a lower absorbency of 20 percent.
This mismatch implies that vegetarians and vegans should be mindful of the way in which they can uptake iron. A plant-based rich diet might cause a deficiency even when combined with bad absorption mechanisms. Some of the symptoms of low iron are fatigue, dizziness, pale skin, brittle nails, and difficulties in concentration.
Preventing these pitfalls and potential slows of the absorption can be the distinction in enjoying a successful plant-based lifestyle and living with fatigue.
Mistake 1- Overdose of calcium food items during meals
Calcium is vital to the maintaining of healthy bones, however, at high doses it has been shown to greatly inhibit the absorption of iron especially when taken with meals that are rich in iron. The minerals are mutually antagonistic because both of them compete to be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. As such, high levels of calcium inhibit iron absorption.
An example is taking in too much of fortified plant milks, cheese replacements, or calcium supplements all at once with iron rich foods as they can potentially interfere with the absorption of iron. That does not imply vegetarians and vegans need not operate calcium, but that timing is something to consider.
Learn more about the dangers of overconsumption of calcium-rich foods and how not to feed them on the balance.
Tip: When taking calcium-filled foods or supplement, do not take it at the same time with meals that contain a lot of iron in them. As an example, have almond milk in the morning, but leave your lentil curry or spinach salad to lunch time, without combining them.
Mistake 2: Consumption of Tea or Coffee During a Meal
Tea and coffee are common drinks, which contain polyphenols and tannins that react with iron and it cannot be assimilated. It has been shown that taking tea or coffee during a meal would have the effect of lowering iron absorption by up to 60 percent when you drink tea and about 40 percent with the case of coffee.
This can be a huge issue to plant-based eaters who already have lower bioavailability of iron.
Antacid: If you are a tea or coffee lover, wait one hour before or after a meal to reduce the effect on iron absorption. Another alternative is drinking herbal teas that contain no tannins, i.e., rooibos or peppermint, with your meals.
Mistake 3: Combining Iron Rich foods with Non Nutrient Combinations
The other frequent problem is failing to combine nutrients strategically and to enhance iron absorption. The likely scenario is on vitamin C, which strongly enhances non-hematogenic iron absorption by converting it to a more innocent form easy to be absorbed by the body.
This combination is necessary in many cases since without it a significant portion of the iron in food produced by the flora is not used. As an example, without a source of vitamin C (peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits, etc) along with lentils, you may absorb significantly less iron than you believe.
Make it a habit to take in foods rich in vitamin C along with every meal of an iron-rich diet plan. Squeeze lemon on cooked spinach, add tomato to lentil soup or pair black beans with salsa to enhance absorption on a natural level.
Mistake 4: Too much Fiber with no balance
Fiber is an advantage of vegetable diets, however, the excess amount once at a time affects iron. Whole grains, beans, and legumes are packed with phytates, which combine with minerals such as iron and curtail their absorption.
This does not imply you have to reduce your intake on these healthy food items but rather consume them reasonably. Adequate preparation methods that can break down phytates in order to increase iron absorption.
Raw: Soak, sprout or ferment grains, nuts and legumes before cooking. As an example, sprouted lentils or soaked beans are more bioavailable than lentils/beans that have not been processed in this manner.
Mistake 5: Disregarding Synergy with vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most valuable methods of enhancing non-heme iron absorption. Unluckily, a number of vegetarians and vegans overlook optimization of this combination. Likewise, by not consuming any fresh vegetables or citrus, lentils may decrease the likelihood of absorption.
What can be done about it:
- Add a supplement of vitamin C to every meal, like lemon juice to spinach, or pepper in a bean meal.
- Use colorful vegetables to make your salads attractive with oranges, tomatoes or red pepper.
- Assimilate iron rich meals with drinks containing fresh orange or pineapple juice to increase the efficiency of absorption.
Mistake 6: Oversights of the Timing of Meals with Supplements
A few vegetarians and vegans opt to use supplements of iron, as a precautionary measure to reducing deficiency. Supplements can be useful but they may go wrong when not taken appropriately. As an example, combination of iron supplementation with either calcium or tea drinking has less effect.
Tips: Iron supplements should be done on an empty stomach or with a source of vitamin C and not at the same time with calcium or heavy fiber meals. In case of sensitivity to the stomach, have them with a small fruit piece instead of a full meal.
Mistake 7: Failure to appreciate the signification of the cooking methodologies
The manner in which you prepare food can greatly affect availability of iron As an example, when tomatoes are cooked with beans, vitamin C is permitted as well as phytates are decreased during the cooking. Likewise, using cast-iron cooking utensils can enrich the iron level of food.
Try food combinations and utensils. Cooking lentils with tomatoes in cast-iron pot increases the contents of iron and its absorption capacity of the meal.
Mistake 8: Missing Secret Hidden Iron Blockers in the Diet
Others mistakenly infuse iron blockers in their diets without the knowledge that they are doing so. Illustratively, in excessive doses, soy protein can inhibit the absorption of iron because of the abundance of phytates. Likewise, iron in spinach, beet greens, and Swiss chard can be bound by oxalates which then reduce absorption, despite the high content of iron in the foods.
Tip: Do not depend on single sources of iron instead, rotate them. Do not simply eat spinach as other vegetables such as kale, broccoli or bok choy will contain iron but with less absorption inhibitors.
Tips to Get As Much Iron as possible
In short, the following is a list of some viable strategies that the vegetarians and vegans can implement:
- Independent calcium and iron: Do not eat iron foods or calcium supplements with iron-rich foods.
- Wise choice: This is because tea and coffee should not be scale during meals, at least one hour after or before meals.
- Use vitamin C: Combine foods that contain iron with citrus fruits, bell pepper or tomatoes.
- Properly prepare foods: Sprout, soak, or ferment beans, grains and seeds to limit phytates.
- Use cast iron pots and pans: It has a natural way of increasing the iron content in foodstuffs.
- Variety of iron sources: Rotate iron rich foods Between legumes seeds and dark green vegetables and fortified cereals.
- Be cautious with supplements: Do not mix iron supplement with calcium and/or caffeine.
Final Thoughts
Succeeding on a vegetarian or vegan diet is more than just counting the nutrients in your diet- it is about comprehending how foods react with each other. Most common errors, including too high consumption of the calcium-rich foods, combination of the meal with the use of tea or coffee or ignoring the vitamin C, may substantially decrease iron absorption.
With minor changes to timing, food combinations and preparation styles, plant-based eaters can be sure not only that they are getting enough iron but that they are optimizing their absorption of that iron as well.
A vegan or vegetarian diet, when carefully considered, can fully contribute to a healthy blood flow, long-lasting energy and support optimized wellness without developing menorrhagia, or other iron deficiency.
