'Haem' and 'non-haem' iron sources
Foods with iron
Discussing your diet and iron requirements with your caregiver is a very important (but often a neglected) aspect of early pregnancy care. Being told just to 'eat meat' (or be handed a bottle of iron tablets) is not really adequate. It is not unusual to sit down with a pregnant woman and go through the details of her diet, only to find out she could be dealing with meeting her iron needs more effectively, if she had the right information about necessary dietary adjustments (or the correct instructions on taking her iron supplements, if these are needed).
Iron can usually be obtained through a
well-balanced diet and interestingly, we now know that a pregnant woman's intestines adapt by being able to absorb more iron from the foods she eats, as a natural response to her increased physical needs. It is this amazing natural adjustment that is probably the reason why many pregnant women do not end up needing iron supplements.
However, our iron absorption does not solely depend on eating iron-rich foods and producing adequate red blood cells, but an intricate relationship between iron,
vitamin B12,
folic acid and
vitamin C. Folic acid and vitamin B12 work together with iron to produce the red blood cells (called 'haemoglobin'), lacking any of these will contribute to anaemia. Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron from foods, if consumed at the same meal.
'Haem' and 'non-haem' iron sources
The best source of iron in foods comes from red meat (such as beef, veal, pork and lamb), shellfish and some types of fish (sardines and tuna) are also rich sources. There is comparatively less iron in chicken and other fish and eggs. These animal products containing iron are known as 'haem' sources of iron. They are recommended as preferred sources because our body readily absorbs larger amounts of the iron they contain (up to 25%).
Plant foods containing iron are known as 'non-haem' sources.