If we ask any child about iron in the human body, perhaps a few would imagine the character of the ironman. But, as much as ironman is firm in his vest, our body will be immune to many infections if we have the right amount of iron in our diet. The human body contains almost 70% of the iron in the blood cells called haemoglobin; 30% of our muscles have iron in the form of myoglobin. Haemoglobin in human blood acts as carriers in transporting oxygen to different organs. In the recent past, with the rise in the number of COVID cases, the importance of having the right amount of oxygen is very much realized. Deficiency of iron leads to Anemia that will commonly aggravate the severity of respiratory diseases, COVID being one among them.
Ms Shalini Arvind, Chief Dietitian, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, shares a few iron-rich foods that can supplement our regular diet.
Although most meats contain an outstanding amount of iron, many vegetables and greens are essential to know.
- Moth beans: One of the nutritious choices is Moth beans. It is packed with proteins, iron, potassium, magnesium, and fibre. Sprouting increases the vitamin C content, which in turn helps in the absorption of iron. Boiled and seasoned moth bean sprouts make an ideal breakfast or an evening snack or are savoured as a curry.
- Sesame: Til ke ladoo(sesame laddoos ) is an excellent way to increase the iron content in our diets. Probably that is the reason behind the traditional practice that women are given sesame laddoos during pregnancy as the nutritional requirement, especially iron and calcium, go up at the time.
- Pumpkin and Flax seeds: They contains great iron, protein, Omega-3 fatty acid, and zinc. They have antioxidants and thus help in increasing immunity. They are a good source of vitamin E too. They can be eaten as such or sprinkled as a powder over fruits and salads.
- Red Amaranth leaves (Dantu Soppu): These green leaves are equally iron-rich and have fibres, magnesium, and potassium in suitable amounts for a healthy diet. They are rich in antioxidants which help in preventing many chronic diseases.
- Red Kidney beans or Rajma: 100 gms of raw rajma beans contain around 6mg of iron. It has a good amount of fibre, which helps prevent colon cancer and controls blood sugar levels.
These are a few iron-rich foods that can be part of our daily diet. Iron in the human body is essential for a healthy life.
