Introduction
The iron it is a very important element for health, so it is essential to maintain it right amount in the body.
What is the iron for
This mineral is present in hemoglobin of Red blood cells, where he participates in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, it is crucial in the production of power and in the correct functioning of the metabolism.
Eating iron-rich foods can also alleviate the symptoms of PMS.
What its deficiency entails
The daily requirement of iron in a adult man is about 10-12 milligrams, in a child of 7-9 mg and in one woman of about 18 mg. However, if the woman is in menopause, the need for iron approaches that of a man, while if it is pregnant it increases significantly, up to 30 mg. During Mensesfinally, since the loss of blood also corresponds to a loss of iron, the latter should be integrated even more than during the rest of the month.
Her deficiency in the body is very harmful and, if significant and prolonged over time, can lead toanemia.
In childhood and adolescence, the lack of iron leads to a lack of oxygen to the tissues and a consequent slowdown in growth. In the adult or athlete, however, often a reduction in performance.
Some of the symptoms clearer ones that show iron levels that are too low are: paleness, hair loss, headache, weakness, chronic fatigue, exhaustion and brittle nails, moodiness, reduced concentration and productive capacity.
The importance of nutrition
As in 50% of cases the iron deficiency depends on one poor nutritional intake, the first thing to do is make sure you have a balanced diet and eat foods that contain enough.
Maintaining a healthy diet is very important and you should try to do this during the Christmas holidays as well.
Exist two typthe of dietary iron: that heme, present in the foods of animal origin and easily absorbed by the body; and that not heme, mainly contained in vegetables and assimilated in smaller extent than the first.
Equally important, to maintain a generic and optimal state of health, also to keep the balance of the intestinal microbiota under control.
Iron for breakfast
The foods rich in iron there are many and many of these, especially those of vegetable origin, are perfect to be consumed a Breakfast, in order to give the right start to the day. In this article, we have compared sweet and savory breakfasts.
Cereals as a priority source
THE cereals, which of course already constitute one of the primary options in terms of Breakfast, contain a considerable amount of iron and for this reason it is recommended to take about 30/40 g per day, to be consumed for example in milk (the benefits of boiling milk) as an alternative to biscuits.
There are many possibilities on the market among which to choose to enrich the most important meal of the day and the optimal idea is to be guided by taste, since the consumption of these foods should be constant and perpetuate over time. The only warning is to keep the presence of fibers as low as possible which, on the contrary, in large quantities inhibit the assimilation of iron.
If you aim to assimilate as much iron as possible, it is good to consider that the primacy for the amount of iron contained goes to wheat bran with 12.9 mg / 100g, followed by: wheat germ with 10mg, wheat 6.0 mg, soy flour 6.9 mg, muesli 5.6 mg, oatmeal 5.2 mg, oatmeal 4.2 mg, buckwheat 4 mg.
Eating oatmeal-based foods for breakfast also helps reduce abdominal bloating.
For a healthy breakfast, you can also choose low-carbohydrate cereals.
To consume them, you can choose just one or combine several and create a personal mix, to which you can add other foods rich in iron. Breakfast cereals, and oats, in particular, are part of the list of healthy and cheap foods that must never be missing within a balanced diet.
Dried fruit, dark chocolate and eggs
Another friendly food of this mineral is the dried fruit or walnuts (2.9 mg), almonds (4.51 mg), hazelnuts (4.70 mg), peanuts (4.58 mg) or pistachios (3.9 mg), which you can always eat alone for breakfast or break into small pieces and add to the cereal mix.
Good news for the sweet tooth. The bitter dark chocolate it is one of the richest foods in iron (17.4 mg) and it too can be added to flakes to cereals or nuts or eaten alone.
Always chocolate, brings many benefits to the brain, given by the flavonols contained in cocoa.
If you love a savory breakfast, it is important to know that the eggs they are a very important source of iron, this time heme, being of animal origin.
Foods that favor the assimilation of Iron
To take iron correctly, however, it is not enough to eat foods that are rich in it, it is also necessary to know how to combine them correctly to ensure optimal absorption of the mineral.
To get the most out of that contained in cereals it is essential to associate it with C vitamin.
The simplest idea is to drink one every morning freshly squeezed orange juice or grapefruit. Alternatively you can eat a Kiwi or add some currant to cereals and dried fruit.
Beware of tea and coffee
Conversely, there are also some foods that hinder absorption of iron and which, therefore, must not be combined with those that favor it.
Already said of the fibers, it is also important to pay attention to tea and coffee. This does not mean completely eliminating them from the diet, but it is preferable to consume them away from sources of iron, therefore not for breakfast.
Thumbs down also for the wheat flour, which prevents 75% of its assimilation.
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