Iron deficiency anemia is not enough just by supplementing iron! Nutritionist Li Wanping: Eating this way can improve iron absorption

Anemia refers to an insufficient level of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood, which leads to hypoxia in the body and symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. How can pale anemic people eat to replenish blood and stay healthy? How should we match our diet to keep our money and avoid losing it all? Let nutritionist Li Wanping tell you.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. Symptoms include fatigue, decreased appetite, pale skin, decreased immunity (easy to catch colds), palpitations, shortness of breath when walking, white or pink lower eyelids, and thinning, flattening or concave nails. In severe cases, the nails may become spoon-shaped, and the papillae on the surface of the tongue may atrophy, and the tongue may become swollen, hot, and red (thus causing a worse appetite). These are common symptoms of anemia.

There are many causes of anemia

Nutritionist Li Wanping said that possible causes of iron deficiency anemia include drinking carbonated drinks, coffee or tea, which will affect iron absorption; or loving to eat starchy foods, such as desserts, bread, steamed buns, etc., which lack protein or iron sources; some people eat simply and casually, which can easily lead to nutritional imbalance; or those who are trying to lose weight only eat vegetables and fruits and do not take in enough protein; there are even some people who pay attention to healthy diet and only eat white meat and rarely eat red meat, etc. All these reasons can cause iron deficiency anemia.

Some iron deficiency anemia is caused by diseases, such as diarrhea, or intestinal diseases such as constipation, hemorrhoids (which can easily cause heavy bleeding), gastric ulcers, or even drug interference that causes anemia. In addition, the large amount of blood loss caused by women's menstrual period, or problems with immunity, cancer, etc. are all causes of iron deficiency anemia. Some groups, such as infants, adolescents, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women, need to increase their iron intake.

Some people pay attention to a healthy diet and only eat white meat and rarely eat red meat. All these reasons can cause iron deficiency anemia.

Sufficient protein for adequate iron absorption

Li Wanping explained that a good way to supplement iron is to first take in enough protein to help absorb iron. This is not a problem for meat eaters. Vegetarians can take in plant protein, including edamame, black beans, red beans, soybeans, whole grains, etc., and eat them together to get complete protein.

Next, get iron-containing foods from your diet. Animal sources include high-quality offal, such as pork liver, pork kidneys, pork blood, and pork heart, which are rich in iron and low in calories. Other sources such as oysters, clams, beef, and pork are also good. For example, 8 ounces of red meat and a bowl of pork liver soup have similar iron content, but pork liver is absorbed quickly and is relatively low in calories.

Plant-based iron sources include black sesame, red amaranth, red amaranth, black beans, etc. Nutritionists particularly emphasize that one cup of cooked red amaranth is about 100 grams, and 100 grams of steak is about the size of three playing cards. Comparing the absorption rate of the two, the iron content of red amaranth is actually not inferior to that of steak.

Nutritionists particularly emphasize that one cup of cooked red amaranth is approximately 100 grams, and 100 grams of steak is about the size of three playing cards. Comparing the absorption rates of the two, the iron content of red amaranth is actually not inferior to that of steak.

Plant-based iron requires the help of vitamin C

Because the absorption rate of plant-based iron sources is relatively poor, you should consume fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C with each meal to help absorb the iron. It must be eaten with meals or within half an hour to be effective. Foods rich in vitamin C include vegetables such as bell peppers, mung bean sprouts, rapeseed, and pea sprouts, and fruits such as guava, papaya, kiwi, orange, and grapefruit.

It is important to note that both tea and coffee will affect the absorption of iron. In addition to reducing the intake, it is also recommended not to drink them within half an hour before or after meals to avoid affecting the absorption of iron from iron-containing foods.

Red dragon fruit has the highest iron content

Li Wanping added that as for fruits, pitaya is a fruit with relatively high iron content, with an iron content of 1.4380 mg/100g, while white-fleshed pitaya has an iron content of 0.5765 mg/100g. Cherries also contain some iron, 0.2463 mg/100g, mainly because they are rich in vitamin C, which helps iron absorption. Well-known blood-enriching fruits such as grapes and apples do not have very high iron content, with apples containing 0.1332 mg/100g and grapes containing even less, at only 0.0792 mg/100g.

In addition, if you need to take 30 mg of iron supplements a day, if you want to absorb enough iron through diet, you need to eat three meals a day with snacks to get enough iron. Therefore, some people choose to supplement iron, but constipation may occur. If you are prone to constipation, it is recommended to take it every other day, or choose a lower dose of iron, which is less likely to cause constipation. In addition, it is normal to excrete black stools after taking iron supplements, so there is no need to worry. One-day blood-replenishing meal recommended by nutritionists

Li Wanping suggested that if you want to rescue iron deficiency anemia, you can eat like this for three meals a day plus afternoon snacks.

Dragon fruit is a fruit with relatively high iron content, with an iron content of 1.4380 mg/100g, while white-fleshed dragon fruit has an iron content of 0.5765 mg/100g.

●Breakfast: Eating sesame butter toast contains higher iron than butter toast or bread. Because it is plant-based iron, it is best paired with fruits containing vitamin C such as oranges.

●Lunch: You can have pork liver soup or pork liver noodles with a boiled egg or blanched spinach, which are all good choices rich in iron.

●Snack: Dried mango is rich in iron and can be used as an afternoon tea snack.

●Dinner: You can use pig blood cake instead of staple food, and choose red dragon fruit as the fruit after the meal.

【Blood-replenishing recipes】

◆Pork liver porridge

Material:

70 grams of fresh pork liver, 50 grams of fresh lean pork, 50 grams of rice, a little shredded ginger, and appropriate amount of salt.

practice:

1. Slice the liver and prepare the meat slices.

2. Wash the rice clean, put it into the pot, add appropriate amount of water, and cook until the porridge is almost cooked. Then add pork liver, lean meat, shredded ginger, and salt. Cook until the meat is cooked. Add a few drops of sesame oil before serving to enhance the aroma.

Nutritionist's Tips:

Pork liver is a high-quality offal that is low in calories and rich in iron and B vitamins. It is suitable as a quick dietary supplement for those who need to replenish their blood.

◆Beef balls stewed with amaranth

Material:

100 grams of tender ground beef, 200 grams of red amaranth, a little cornstarch water, some olive oil, some salt and white pepper.

practice:

1. Wash the red amaranth, cut into sections and set aside.

2. Knead the ground beef into beef balls.

3. Fry the meatballs in a pan, then add the amaranth and cook. Add a little cornstarch water to thicken the sauce to increase the smoothness, and season with salt and white pepper.

Nutritionist's Tips:

Beef and amaranth are both foods high in iron and folate. The iron from plants plus the protein from animals can increase the absorption rate. Cooking plants and animals together can provide sufficient fiber and avoid excessive intake of animal saturated fat, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.