As Vegetarian Diets increase, so does Iron deficiency
The mineral iron is needed by the human body for growth and development. It’s used to make several hormones plus hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles.
Meat contains heme iron, the most absorbable type of iron. One study showed that when iron was fortified to teens, only the heme-iron fortification raised iron levels.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting approximately 25 percent of the global population and almost half of all preschool children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early signs of iron deficiency include fatigue, light-headedness, and shortness of breath. Iron deficiency can lead to severe and chronic diseases, chronic heart failure, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. In children it can cause serious developmental delays and behavioral issues.
Vegetarians are commonly iron deficient, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Heme iron, found in red meat, is the most absorbable kind of iron, two to three times better than plant-based iron, and absorption is also dependent on current iron stores.
Iron deficiency is on the rise. For example, in New Zealand, hospitalizations for iron deficiency have doubled over the last ten years as red meat consumption has declined. Vegetarianism in New Zealand is up nearly 30 percent, and of those who do eat meat, they’re eating more than twice as much chicken and pork, yet beef and lamb consumption are dramatically down.
Overall, iron absorption from plants is low. Although a package label of a meat-free food may say it contains a lot of iron, only about 1.4%–7% of plant-based iron in spinach, for example, can actually be absorbed, compared to 20% in red meat. This is because it’s a nonheme form, but also because spinach is high in oxalates, which block iron absorption. Iron deficiency can be a particular challenge in meat-free diets because oxalates, tannins, and phytates all block iron absorption.
Is Heme Iron Bad for You?
Some claim heme iron is associated with inflammation, cancer, and diabetes. However, when we look at all the research on this subject, it appears that there are only associations between those who eat meat (and therefore, consume heme-iron) and disease. No randomized control trials have shown a causal negative effect from heme iron. Plus, humans have been consuming heme iron from meat for over 3.5 million years.
How Much Iron Do We Need?
Which Foods are the Best Sources of Heme Iron?
Some of the best whole food ways to get some of the leading nutrient deficiencies (not a complete list)
What About Iron Overload?
Iron overload can be a serious issue for some, and there is a rare mutation to a gene called HFE that causes “hereditary hemochromatosis,” which is thought to affect 1 in 227 people of European decent. In this small percentage of the population, red meat should be avoided, but in healthy people and in those who are iron deficient, red meat is the best source of iron.
Iron Challenge: Are you getting enough?
Log your daily food into this app, which shows daily micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) intake, not just protein, fat and carbs. Check and see if your daily iron intake is close to the recommendations. You may be surprised to see that unless you’re consuming liver or taking supplements, it’s very difficult to obtain the daily reference intake (DRI) of iron via food. If you’re coming up short, either consider eating some liver. You can try making liver and onions or a classic liver pâté. If you hate the taste, try a ground beef blend with liver in it, or alternatively, take a desiccated grass-fed liver supplement like this one.