Iron deficiency is a term that gets thrown around a lot, especially during pregnancy. At one point or another we may ask ourselves, ‘am getting enough iron?”  Whether the answer is yes or no, a second question to ask before you start pounding back the iron pills is, ‘am I sabotaging my iron absorption?’

A few years ago I discovered a book called Women’s Herbs, Women’s Health  that discussed the importance of iron absorption. One chapter in the book focused on foods that increase, decrease and block iron absorption. Lately, the topic has come up in many of my consultations that I thought I would share the link to the book.

Here are a few tips that really stood out for me.

Consuming vitamin C with your iron rich foods boosts the amount of iron you absorb.

Sauerkraut—that Eastern European favorite– helps you utilize as much of the iron in your meal as possible.

Four foods that inhibit iron absorption include

1. Caffeinated beverages ( e.g. Coffee/Black/green tea)
2. Eggs and dairy
3. Soy protein

To read more from the book, click this link.

Happy eating to everyone and bon appétit!