Foods Richer in Iron Than Beef to Boost Your Health

Besides supplementing iron from beef, choosing other foods with high iron content not only helps to enrich meals but also effectively supplements iron for the body.

Nutritionist Le Thao Nguyen (South Saigon International General Hospital) said that proper iron supplementation helps reduce fatigue, weakness, headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite, numbness in hands and feet, and improves concentration. These are common symptoms when the body lacks this important mineral. Besides choosing beef to provide iron, we have many other food sources that also contain abundant iron content.

Seafood

Clams, mussels and oysters are seafood that top the list in terms of iron content. Clams alone can provide up to 28 mg of iron per 100 g, 10 times higher than beef (about 2.7-3.1 mg of iron per 100 g). This is a source of iron from animals, which is more easily absorbed by the body than iron from plants. In addition, fish such as tuna or mackerel also provide 1-2 mg of iron per 100 g, and are rich in omega-3, which helps improve heart and brain health.

Green vegetables

Not only are vegetables a source of vitamins, they also contain significant amounts of iron. Spinach contains about 3.6 mg of iron per 100 g, which is more than beef. Other vegetables such as kale and broccoli not only provide 1 mg of iron per 100 g but also contain vitamin C, which helps absorb iron more effectively.

Spinach is rich in iron.

Red meat

Besides beef, other red meats such as lamb, pigeon and animal liver (such as chicken liver, pork liver) also have impressive iron content. Animal liver provides 6-12 mg of iron/100 g, far exceeding beef and is an ideal choice for those who need to supplement iron quickly.

Egg

Chicken eggs contain 2.7 mg of iron/100 g of eggs, duck eggs contain 3.2 mg of iron/100 g of eggs, quail eggs contain 3.65 mg/100 g of eggs.

100g of chicken eggs contain 2.7 mg of iron.

Nuts

Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and sunflower seeds are not only healthy snacks, but also rich in iron, providing good fats and important minerals. Of these, pumpkin seeds contain the highest iron content with 9 mg of iron/100 g, three times higher than beef; sesame seeds 14.55 mg/100 g.

Beans

Black beans, soybeans, green beans, peas, white beans... are typical representatives of the group of beans. In particular, soybeans provide 5 mg of iron/100 g, along with high-quality vegetable protein, suitable for vegetarian diets to help supplement iron for vegetarians.

Beans are a rich source of plant-based iron.

Fruits

Although not particularly high in iron, some fruits such as raisins, prunes, and dried lychees (containing about 1.9 mg of iron per 100 g) are still good choices for mineral supplementation. Oranges and tangerines, although low in iron, are rich in vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron more effectively from other food sources.

Dr. Le Thao Nguyen said that to optimize iron supplementation, you should combine both animal and plant iron sources, and add vitamin C to your meals to improve your body's absorption capacity.

There are many foods from plant sources and seafood that can provide superior amounts of iron, so we should diversify our diet and not overuse beef. Build a balanced diet that meets the body's nutritional needs comprehensively.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-thuc-pham-giau-sat-hon-thit-bo-giup-tang-cuong-suc-khoe-185241225100438353.htm