"Women who don't eat well are prone to easy aging". This old Chinese saying reflects well on menstruating females. Females loss about 50 to 250 ml of blood every month, the loss of iron through menstruation usually leads to lower iron stores. If not adequately replete, this may leads to iron deficiency anemia. The Dietitians of Canada Association has recommended an intake of 18 mg iron / day for female adults.

Dietary iron exists in two different forms: Heme iron and Non-heme iron. Heme iron is present mostly in animal origin, for example meat, poultry, fish (MFP), liver and kidney. Heme iron is much better absorbed and utilized. The absorption of heme iron can be as high as 15% to 35%. Whereas non-heme iron comes mainly from plant sources, these include whole grain products, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, dried beans and cereals fortified with iron. So to speak, our daily foods include a wide variety of non-heme iron sources. However its absorption can range from 3% to 8% depending on the presence of other dietary factors. Tannin found in tea reduces non-heme iron absorption by 50%. While ascorbic acid (fruits such as oranges, kiwi) and MFP can increase iron absorption.

Finally, using an iron wok in cooking can slightly enhance the availability of dietary iron. Isn't this about time for us to switch back using the old-fashioned wok.

Iron contents in some common foods
Foods Portions Iron (mg)
Beef liver 90 g 5.3
Dried apricots 10 no. 1.7
Canned tuna 85 g 1.6
Spinach 1 cup 1.5
Chicken breast 85 g 0.9
Broccoli Half cup 0.7
Kiwi 1 no. 0.3
3 Cooked white rice 0. 1 cup 0.3
Egg 1 no. 0.1
Milk 250 ml 0.1

Reference: Mahan LK, Arlin MT. Krause's Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy 8th Edition, WB Saunders Company, 1992.

The above information has been prepared by the Dietetic Services of the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.
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