Iron


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Iron

Everybody needs iron in their blood because it helps carry oxygen to all parts of your body, is part of making energy in your body and helping your body grow, supports a healthy immune system and is very important to proper brain function.

When someone doesn’t have enough iron in their body, it is called iron deficiency anemia. People most likely to have this are pregnant women, post-partum women, babies and kids.

Without enough iron, adults and kids might have pale skin, feel grumpy, get tried easily, have a fast heartbeat, or have a sore tongue. In extreme cases, they might want to eat things like dirt or ice that aren’t food.

It is important to check your iron levels! If we find out early that you have low iron, we can fix it faster and prevent health problems later.

Causes of low iron can include:

  • Losing a lot of blood
  • Having many pregnancies
  • Not eating enough foods with iron
  • Drinking too much milk (more than 24 ounces a day)

Please note: Infants who are not breastfed need to be fed iron-fortified formula.

Food with Iron

 

Best Sources
  • WIC cereals 
  • Pork Liver & Heart
  • Chicken Liver
  • Beef Kidney

Good Sources
  • Lean red-meat, fish, poultry
  • Prune juice (prunes)
  • Dark Green Leafy Vegetables (turnip, mustard, collard, spinach)
  • Oysters, clams
  • Dried beans and peas
  • Green lima beans
  • Dried fruit, like apricots

Okay Sources
  • Eggs
  • Enriched cereals
  • Enriched bread, pasta
  • Blackberries, strawberries
  • Green peas, black-eyed peas

How Much?

How much iron a person needs varies by each life stage. See the chart below for how many milligrams you need each day. If you do not eat animal proteins, you may need to eat more than what is listed below.

Infants 7 – 12 months

11 mg

Children 1 – 3 years

7 mg

Children 4 – 8 years

10 mg

Children 9 – 13 years

8 mg

Teen boys 14-18 years

11 mg

Teen girls 14-18 years

15 mg

Adult men 19-50 years

8 mg

Adult women 19-50 years

18 mg

Adults 51 years and older

8 mg

Pregnant teens

27 mg

Pregnant women

27 mg

Breastfeeding teens

10 mg

Breastfeeding women

9 mg

Other Facts About Iron:

  • Iron from animal foods such as meat is absorbed by the body easier than iron from plant foods.
  • Cooking high acid foods (tomatoes in spaghetti sauce or chili) in iron pots increases the amount of iron in foods.
  • Liver is a high source of iron & vitamin A. Liver is not recommended for pregnant women because it is such a high source of the type of vitamin A that can cause birth defects. Other foods that have both iron & vitamin A do not cause birth defects.

Please note: Too much iron can be harmful. Do not misuse iron supplements. Be careful to store pills that contain iron (such as prenatal vitamins with iron) out of a child’s reach.

Iron & Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps your body to use the iron you eat.

Foods high in vitamin C include: 

  • Oranges/orange juice, grapefruit, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes
  • Broccoli, raw cabbage, and dark green leafy vegetables like turnip, mustard, collard, and spinach

Source: USDA Infant Feeding & Nutrition – A Guide for Use in WIC

https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia