Iron rich foods

Importance of iron rich foods

Iron deficiency is the most common form of nutritional deficiency. Food has two types of iron - heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry, and is the form of iron that is most readily absorbed from your stomach and taken up into your body after you eat it. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods as well as meat. Iron is an essential mineral used to transport oxygen to all parts of the body. A slight deficiency in iron causes anaemia (fatigue/weakness), and a chronic deficiency can lead to organ failure. 

High iron foods are easily incorporated in a healthy and happy lifestyle, a few example of foods are:
Meat: Liver (cut), smoked meat, tenderloin, beef, Turkey, Roast beef, beefsteak, veal, raw ham, chicken, tenderloin, egg
Fish: octopus, Mussels, sea - ear / seaweed / samphire, spirulina, anchovy, tuna, lobster, salmon, Halibut, sea bass, crab, squid
Greens: Basil ( fresh), chards, arugula, Spinach, artichoke, scallion / spring onion, garlic, cress, endive, red leaf lettuce, asparagus, Kale, chilli pepper, green cabbage, lettuce, sweet potato, Broccoli, pak choi, kohlrabi, White cabbage, bell peppers, tomatoes
Cereals: whole grain products, oatmeal
Fruits: raspberries, blueberries, black berries, strawberries, watermelon, plums, peaches
Seeds and nuts: pumpkin seeds, sesame, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut
Beans: kidney beans, lentils, white / brown beans (cooked), peas, chickpeas, green beans, broad beans, snow peas, String Beans 

Note: research has shown that it might not be good to consume large amount of dairy along with your meals because this has shown to neutralise the effects of these iron high foods.