Iron-containing products for raising hemoglobin: a list

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Anemia and a low level of hemoglobin in the blood is a condition familiar to many modern people. Its consequence is weakness, disruption of the work of many organs. After all, hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues. It is the main component of blood, thanks to which it has a red color and performs its functions.

The main trace element that ensures the production of hemoglobin is iron. It is because of its deficiency that anemia most often occurs. In this condition, drugs that increase hemoglobin are prescribed. But you can simply adjust the diet by regularly including iron-containing foods in it.

Hemoglobin level

Human he alth depends on how cells are provided with oxygen. And it is transferred with the help of hemoglobin, a constituent component of red blood cells. It is he who performs the most important task of providing all the cells of the body with oxygen. About 10 grams of hemoglobin is lost every day, which is why it is so important to constantly replenish its amount. It strongly decreases under conditionsaccompanied by hemorrhage. These are various injuries, operations, hemorrhoids and even menstruation in women. At the same time, it is necessary to follow a special diet to increase hemoglobin. But iron-containing products are especially important for pregnant women, because at this time the need for this pigment increases.

In addition, its level often decreases in childhood and adolescence due to the rapid growth of the body, as well as in the elderly due to a slowdown in metabolic processes. There are certain norms for the content of this substance in the blood. In women, hemoglobin should not be lower than 120 g / l, and in men - not lower than 130 g / l.

The role of iron

Different trace elements are needed for normal hematopoietic processes. But the most important is iron, which is involved in the formation of hemoglobin. Most often, it is because of the lack of this trace element that anemia occurs. After all, the hemoglobin molecule consists of two parts: heme (iron) and globin (protein component). With a low iron content in the blood, hemoglobin molecules cannot form, so little oxygen enters the cells.

Iron cannot accumulate in large quantities, so it is very important that it enters the body every day. But for this you need not only to consume iron-containing foods, but also to do it correctly. It is important to know how much of this trace element is necessary for he alth. An adult needs from 10 mg for men to 18 mg for women. The need for it increases during pregnancy, during serious illnesses or after largeblood loss.

How to understand that the level of hemoglobin is low

Iron deficiency greatly affects the overall he alth of a person. In addition to the fact that the provision of tissues with oxygen decreases, the work of internal organs and digestion worsens. After all, iron is part of many enzymes and is involved in some other vital processes. There are certain symptoms that will help you understand that the body lacks this vital trace element and lowered hemoglobin levels:

• severe weakness and fatigue;
• hair loss, brittle nails;
• skin becomes pale, dry, cracks appear in the corners of the mouth;
• dizziness;
• dyspnea and tachycardia;
• sleep disorder;
• digestion problems;
• frequent colds.

How to increase hemoglobin

If the tests confirmed that its level in the blood is low, most often special preparations containing iron are prescribed. They must be taken in critical cases, when the hemoglobin in the blood falls below 100 g / l. And with a slight decrease in it, you can cope with the problem by including iron-containing foods in the diet. But it is also necessary during the treatment of severe anemia, as well as for its prevention.

The use of such products will help to avoid a strong decrease in hemoglobin, as well as eliminate the need to buy expensive iron supplements. In addition, such treatment will not have side effects, which often happens frommedicines.

When choosing iron-containing foods for anemia, you need to consider that the iron in them can be different. There are heme, which is better and more fully absorbed, as well as non-heme. The second option is most often found in plant products, so iron is less absorbed from them. In addition, the body can absorb no more than 2 g of iron per day. Therefore, with a strong decrease in the level of hemoglobin, only changing the diet will not solve the problem.

In addition, when compiling a diet, one must take into account the age of the patient and the reason for the decrease in hemoglobin. It is especially important to choose the right iron-containing foods to increase hemoglobin for pregnant women. They need to consider that some of them can harm the baby. Therefore, you should not eat a large amount of liver and offal. You need to fill the lack of iron with the help of vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts.

Best iron foods for anemia: list

It is believed that to raise hemoglobin it is necessary to eat meat and liver of animals. But iron is not only found in animal products. Anemia often affects those people who constantly eat meat.

The list of iron-containing products is quite long. And although not all of them are able to meet the needs of the body, it is advisable to include them in the diet. But there are several foods that have the highest iron content. It is they who are able, with regular use, to raise the level of hemoglobin. They contain more than 10 mg of iron per100g. These products are:

• pork liver;
• chicken liver;
• dried porcini mushrooms;
• brewer's yeast;
• seaweed;
• cocoa;
• pumpkin seeds;
• lentils;
• sesame seeds;
• pistachios;
• spinach;
• wheat bran.

Iron-containing animal products

They contain heme iron, which is better absorbed by the body. From 15% to 35% of this trace element is absorbed from animal products. That is why they are considered the best for raising hemoglobin.

Most iron in meat and offal. It is believed that the darker it is, the better it affects the level of hemoglobin. Useful such iron-containing products for anemia:

• veal, beef;
• chicken and turkey;
• lean pork;
• pork and chicken liver;
• heart, tongue;
• fish, especially sardine and tuna;
• seafood - shrimp, oysters, caviar.

Vegetables and fruits

Plant foods can also be high in iron. And although it is absorbed from them worse, they still need to be constantly included in the diet. Beets are the best way to increase hemoglobin levels. Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, zucchini and tomatoes are also useful. Be sure to include greens in your diet: spinach, dill, parsley.

From fruits, red and black berries are most valued: cranberries,blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries, rose hips. A lot of iron in pomegranates, apples, peaches, figs, grapes, quince, watermelons. They can be eaten fresh, in desserts, and frozen for the winter.

Grains, seeds and nuts

Those who are looking for the best iron foods for anemia should not ignore nuts and seeds. Pistachios and peanuts are especially useful in this regard. Hazelnuts and walnuts also contain a sufficient amount of iron. It is useful for anemia to use pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and halva. A lot of iron - 14 g - is found in sesame seeds.

It is also recommended to use various cereals. Best of all, unpeeled. For example, white wheat flour is poor in any trace elements. After all, all the nutrients remain in the bran, which contains almost 20 g of iron. Useful for raising hemoglobin buckwheat, oatmeal, millet.

But legumes are especially valuable in this regard. Despite the fact that iron is absorbed from them less than 10%, these products contain it in large quantities, and in addition, many other useful trace elements. Lentils, peas, beans - these are the foods that must be consumed in case of anemia.

Folk recipes

For an increase in hemoglobin in an adult, iron-containing products are not always effective. After all, they can be poorly absorbed. And not all useful products are available to everyone. But in folk medicine, there are several recipes that include herbs, vegetables and fruits. They are mixed in certainproportions and used as medicine. It helps to make up for the lack of iron in the body:

• Mix equal amounts of walnuts, dried apricots, prunes and raisins. Twist in a meat grinder and add a little honey. Consume 6 teaspoons daily.
• It is recommended to drink 2 glasses of freshly squeezed carrot juice daily.
• Squeeze some juice from the grated beets, mix in equal proportions with honey. Take 2 tablespoons 3 times a day.
• Good mixture of carrot, beet, apple and pomegranate juices increases hemoglobin levels. They need to take 100 g each, add 50 g of honey there. Drink 2-3 sips 3 times a day.
• Helpful decoction of St. John's wort, white jasmine and blackberry leaves. It is drunk in a tablespoon three times a day.

How to improve iron absorption

Iron-containing foods do not always help to raise hemoglobin. After all, it is not enough just to include them in the diet, you need to make sure that the iron from them is normally absorbed by the body.

Some other trace elements help this. First of all, it is vitamin C. Therefore, during the treatment of anemia, it is recommended to consume more acidic vegetables and fruits: oranges, black currants, sauerkraut, tomatoes, spinach. Instead of tea, you need to drink a rosehip broth. In addition, the production of hemoglobin depends on the presence in the body of a sufficient amount of vitamin B12, copper, manganese, zinc, folic acid. Therefore, you should also include bananas, buckwheat, pears, honey in the diet.

Hindersabsorption of iron calcium. Therefore, iron-containing foods are recommended to be consumed separately from milk. In addition, proteins are digested worse and iron is absorbed from them in the presence of cereals. But most of all, coffee and strong tea interfere with the normal formation of hemoglobin due to the substances they contain. There are also common foods that interfere with the production of hemoglobin - these are eggs, pasta and wheat bread. It is also desirable to exclude them from the diet during the treatment of anemia.

Recipes

Diet food should be not only he althy, but also tasty. So with anemia, unusual dishes can be made from the necessary products. It is especially important to prepare them correctly for children and sick people who have no appetite. And in old age, you need to pay more attention to chopped, boiled dishes so that they are easier to chew and digest. There are different recipes with iron products, but it is better to use those with several of them.

• Grate beets, carrots, add pitted raisins, walnuts. Drizzle salad with olive oil.
• Buckwheat and beef meatballs are useful. It is necessary to cook buckwheat, mix with ground beef. Stew meatballs with vegetables: pepper, onion, pumpkin.
• You can make homemade pate from chicken liver. To do this, stew it until soft with carrots and onions. When cool, add garlic, walnuts, herbs. Grind everything in a blender.
• He althy and hearty salad can be made with chicken breast. In addition to it, tomatoes, apples, sweet peppers, orange and lettuce are added.

If constantlyeating foods containing iron can help prevent a decrease in hemoglobin.