Dietary Sources Of Heme And Nonheme Iron
The iron in red meat in particular is a highly absorbable form heme iron.
Dietary sources of heme and nonheme iron. Non heme iron is also found in animal flesh as animals consume plant foods with non heme iron and fortified foods. Non heme iron is found in plant foods like whole grains nuts seeds legumes and leafy greens. Irons as a dietary mineral is present in many food and also available as a dietary supplement. Red meat is the highest heme iron source while cereals pulses vegetables are considered important non heme iron sources.
However iron from vegetarian food sources nonheme iron may prove to be a better choice because while it isn t absorbed as well as heme iron it is sufficient to promote adequate iron levels without encouraging iron stores above the recommended range. In this category you can find iron rich foods like oysters shrimp mussels and others. The two forms of dietary iron are heme iron and non heme iron. The aim of the presented study was to analyze heme and non heme iron intake and dietary sources in adolescent menstruating females in a national polish sample.
Heme is found only in animal flesh like meat poultry and seafood. Sources of iron food. Dietary irons are mainly in two forms heme and non heme. Continued very good sources of nonheme iron with 3 5 milligrams or more per serving include.
Iron from food comes in two forms. Plants contains non heme irons were as meat seafood and poultry contain both heme and non heme irons. Dietary sources of nonheme iron include nuts beans vegetables and fortified grain products. Heme iron is found only in meat poultry seafood and fish so heme iron is the type of iron that comes from animal proteins in our diet.
Heme iron mainly comes from hemoglobin and myoglobin found in meat. Red meat white meat and fish are three foods rich in this type of iron. Women of childbearing age are indicated by world health organization as the primary target group but maintaining iron balance is particularly challenging for adolescents. This is the form added to foods enriched or fortified with iron as well as many supplements.
Our bodies are less efficient at absorbing nonheme iron but most dietary iron is nonheme iron. In the united states about half of dietary iron comes from bread cereal and other grain products 2 3 5. The richest sources of heme iron in the diet include lean meat and seafood. The absorption and bioavailability of heme iron available in animal products is higher than for non heme iron.
Another one of the primary sources of heme iron is seafood. Non heme iron primarily comes from plant sources and is present in grains vegetables and fortified foods.