Diet Tricks Boost Iron Absorption

Ironing out a few dietary wrinkles can help you get the most out of the healthy foods you're already eating.

"Iron absorption can be increased or decreased, depending on the foods you eat together," said Dr. Debby Demory-Luce, a registered dietitian with the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

She recommends the following dietary tricks to improve iron absorption:

* Include a little meat when dining on iron-rich vegetables. The iron-containing compound in meat helps boost the absorption of iron form less-available plant forms.

* Add a good source of vitamin C to every meal. Top oatmeal with sliced strawberries, toss red pepper strips into a whole-grain pasta dish or eat broccoli salad with a peanut-butter sandwich to pump up iron absorption.

* Don't overdo tea and coffee. Compounds called tannins found in tea and coffee tie up iron, reducing how much is absorbed.

- Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine

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