{"id":507,"date":"2019-04-12T10:17:39","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T10:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=health&p=507"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:55:45","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T13:55:45","slug":"iron","status":"publish","type":"health","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/health-fitness\/vitamins\/iron\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Iron Sources & Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"
An average adult\u2019s body contains around 3.5g of iron, with most of that contained within the blood in the form of haemoglobin. Iron is essential for humans to transport oxygen around the body effectively and you don\u2019t need to be a biology whizz to know that oxygen is quite important to us humans.<\/p>\n
Those with a rudimentary knowledge of nutrition may most associate iron with meat and it is this association which makes many people question whether vegans will naturally consume sufficient quantities of iron for their dietary needs. Iron is indeed abundant in a range of meats and other animal products. However, there are also many excellent vegan sources of iron and to assure optimum health, at least some of these iron-rich vegan foods should feature in a plant-based diet.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll start by looking at some of the best natural sources of vegan iron before also considering if iron deficiency is a problem from which many vegans are likely to suffer. We\u2019ll then conclude, for those revising for their \u201cIron Expert Master Level 12\u201d badge, by looking at what iron actually is and also what it does in the body and why we need it. In case you were wondering, there isn\u2019t really an Iron Master Level 12 badge (it\u2019s actually a certificate).<\/p>\n
We defer to the National Health Service<\/a> (NHS) when it comes to how much iron is needed and their advice at the time of writing is<\/p>\n The advice above is taken directly from the NHS, however, further information is widely available and we feel a little clarification is needed. The primary reason women need more iron than men is to compensate for the iron lost during menstruation.<\/p>\n During periods, most women will lose around 1mg of iron per day, with this figure higher for those who have heavy periods. Obviously, it isn\u2019t only women between 19 and 50 who have periods, so in fact this higher level applies to both younger and older women who are menstruating.<\/p>\n Pregnant women also need higher levels of iron, the main reason for this being that their unborn baby will be establishing a reserve of iron which is drawn from the mother\u2019s blood. Pregnant women may need as much as 27mg of iron per day.<\/p>\n In terms of children, iron requirements vary, peaking at around 11mg per day for babies between seven and 12 months. Adolescent boys will also need around 11mg, with girls of a similar age needing around 15mg. Precise needs vary at other times and range between 7mg and 10mg.<\/p>\n So, where can a vegan get these levels of iron, I hear you ask?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
Vegan Food Sources of Iron<\/h2>\n