Iron Fortified Foods

Iron is just one of the many minerals that is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Iron is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the bloodstream and ensuring that all the bones and muscles get the oxygen they need. Lack of iron can cause fatigue, and this deficiency causes the body's immune system to work poorly.

Consequently, it's important to make sure that a proper diet includes foods rich in iron content. Fortunately, it's very easy to maintain a well-rounded diet that's full of variety while still getting your daily requirement of iron.

Definition

• Make sure you're clear on the difference between foods rich with iron and iron-fortified foods. Iron- fortified foods have had iron added to them during the refinement process, making them more rich in iron than they originally--and naturally--were. Therefore, foods that you think might be highest in iron might not be, thanks to iron additives.

  In some foods, such as breads, flours and pastas, most of the iron in them has been added by the fortification process. This is necessary because much of the natural iron content is lost when the foods go through the extensive process of changing them from their raw into their final forms.

Determining Good Iron Content

• Look for healthy foods, not just foods with a high iron content. Compare the iron content with percentages of other things, such as sugars and fats. One of the most deceivingly "good" sources of fortified iron is cereals. While cereals can be high in fortified iron, oftentimes they're also extremely high in sugars. This counteracts the benefits of the iron, and you're better off looking elsewhere.

Non-fortified Sources and What They Mean

• Know the difference. Naturally occurring sources of iron are in foods that do not go through an extensive preparation process, in which they lose much of their iron. Foods that are naturally high in iron include seafood (especially clams, tuna and shrimp), chicken (chicken livers), and red meats. Some greens are also naturally high in iron, such as collard greens, turnip greens and kale.

Absorption

• Make sure you're getting the most out of your iron-fortified foods. Foods are fortified with this necessary mineral because it is a crucial part of a diet, but there are other foods that should always go along with iron-fortified foods to make sure that you're not only getting your daily intake but that it's being properly absorbed into the body. The minerals in iron-fortified foods can be notoriously difficult to absorb into the system, but raising the vitamin C content of your diet can help the body get the most out of these fortified foods. Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, kiwi fruits, cantaloupe and tomatoes.

  On the other hand, high intake levels of certain foods--such as coffee, tea and milk--may block iron absorption.

Common Fortified Foods

• Check the labels when you're buying any of the foods that are commonly fortified with iron. These include pastas, breads and cereals. Many cereals may advertise that they contain up to 30 percent of the USDA's daily recommended levels of iron.

Dangers

• Make sure that you're not overdoing it. Too much iron in the system can be more dangerous than not enough. Excess iron accumulates in the liver, and can materialize as irritability, fatigue and joint pain-- but often the symptoms don't occur until there's permanent damage to the tissues.

  Iron-fortified foods can add to this risk, if consumed on a regular basis in high quantities. Along with vitamins, these so-called healthy foods can expose people to unforeseen health risks. Therefore, it's always important to make sure that consumption of iron-fortified foods is kept at safe levels.