Episode 102: Listener Request: Dietary Iron 101

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A topic I’ve been asked about by a lot of you is iron, so in this solo podcast episode, I talk about the important roles this mineral plays in our body and which foods are good sources of iron. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Some key information I cover includes:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The essential role iron plays in our body’s growth and development, the proper functioning of the immune system, and in the production of both hemoglobin and myoglobin.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Our body’s need for iron varies based on our gender and age, and the need for iron in women increases during pregnancy and decreases during menopause.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">While red meat is a well-known source of iron, there are many plant-based sources as well, such as beans, peas, dark leafy greens and nuts.</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’d like to read more about iron, the</span> <a href= "https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> National Institutes of Health</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and</span> <a href= "https://www.eatright.org/food/vitamins-and-supplements/types-of-vitamins-and-nutrients/iron"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">EatRight.org</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">offer some good  resources to get you started.</span></p> <p> </p>