Which foods contain iron?
Dietary iron occurs in two forms; haem iron and non-haem iron.
Haem iron is a rich source of iron easily absorbed by the body. Haem iron is found only in animal foods such as meat, fish, shellfish and poultry. The redder the meat the higher the iron content.
Non-haem iron is found in plant foods. Non-haem iron is not as readily absorbed as haem iron due to the following inhibiting factors:
- Phosphoric acid (found in legumes, wholegrains and soy products).
- Phytic acid (found in unprocessed bran, oatmeal and wholegrains).
- Oxalic acid (found in spinach, silverbeeet, rhubarb and soybean products).
- Tannic acid (found in tea and, to some extent, coffee).