Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide and is especially common in women and children.
As the name implies, iron deficiency anaemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can’t produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (haemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anaemia may leave you tired and short of breath.
The World Health Organisation recently revealed that people should include citrus fruits in their meals as they contain vitamin C which helps absorb the iron one needs.
They also advised that people should avoid having coffee and tea with their meals since they contain some elements that can inhibit the absorption of iron in foods and wait two hours after their main meal to have coffee or tea.
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Following are five iron-rich foods recommended by the organisation:
Meat
There are a number of meats that are rich in iron, such as poultry or fish. Salmon and tuna are two specific types of meat considered to be rich in Iron.
Eggs
Eggs come naturally packed with a number of essential ingredients including iron, vitamins, and proteins.
Legumes (like beans, lentils, and chickpeas)
For vegetarians, the most important iron source is lentils. Whether in the form of a salad or a dal preparation.
READ MORE: What are the symptoms of an iron deficiency?
Dark leafy greens
Spinach is widely known to be the best source of iron. There are a number of other leafy greens touted to be iron-rich such as kale.
Nuts and seeds
Apart from being a delicious and satiating snack, nuts and seeds help maintain the iron in the body.
