Food with high iron content

With a balanced diet, about 10-20mg of iron are taken in daily. Most of the iron in food is firmly bound to phosphates or polyphenols. These hardly soluble complexes can hardly be utilized by the body.

Only small amounts of iron are therefore absorbed in the intestines. Every day, approx. 6% (man) – 12% (woman) of the iron is absorbed in the intestine.

In case of iron deficiency, the absorption rate can be increased to a maximum of 20%. The therapy of the diagnosed iron deficiency is very difficult or takes a very long time due to a mere change of diet. Iron-containing foods are very diverse.

Large quantities are contained in blood sausage (30mg/100g), pig liver (18mg/100g) or beef ham (10mg/100g). But also vegetarians or vegans are well supplied.Wheat bran contains 15mg/100g, pumpkin seeds 11.2mg/100g, dried soybeans 9.7mg/100g, pine nuts 9.2mg/100g or dried lentils 8mg/100g. Unlike the cartoon series Popeye, spinach contains only 2.7mg/100g. One would have to eat very large quantities of spinach to cover one’s daily requirements. and iron deficiency in vegetarians

This is how long it takes to correct an iron deficiency

How long it takes to correct an iron deficiency depends on the severity of the deficiency. If the iron stores, the so-called ferritin, are already significantly reduced, it can take a long time to compensate for the deficiency. In addition, it depends on the chosen therapy method.

If iron is only taken orally, i.e. through the mouth, it takes the longest to correct a deficiency. If the loss of iron persists (due to persistent inflammation, blood loss due to e.g. increased menstrual bleeding), oral therapy is usually unsuccessful. As a rule, a blood check is carried out every 4-12 weeks when iron is administered.

This can be used to check whether the iron levels are actually rising. In cases of moderate deficiency, oral therapy must be expected to last at least 2-3 months. However, if the iron is administered by the doctor in the form of infusions, an improvement in the iron status can be achieved much faster (2-4 weeks). In most cases, the drugs are taken for up to 6 months to ensure that the iron content in the body returns to normal. With a change in diet to compensate for iron deficiency, it may take longer before the levels return to normal.