Jul 03, 2021 12:00:00

What drinks to drink / avoid with meals when you want to get iron?

Iron is a mineral that is essential for human life, and if it is

deficient, there is a risk of 'iron deficiency anemia' in which hemoglobin in the blood decreases and the body cannot supply the oxygen it needs. So, Evangeline Manziolis of the University of South Australia, who has worked as a dietitian for more than 25 years, explains drinks that help iron absorption when taken at mealtime and drinks that interfere with iron absorption. did.

What to drink with dinner to get the most iron from your food (and what to avoid)
https://theconversation.com/what-to-drink-with-dinner-to-get-the-most-iron-from-your-food-and-what-to-avoid-156579

According to Manziolis, iron deficiency anemia is especially common in women and causes symptoms such as weakness and malaise. In addition, the main method of ingesting iron is meals, and iron in foods is contained in meats and is easy to absorb, ' heme iron ', and in vegetable foods such as grains, beans and nuts, it is difficult to absorb. It is roughly divided into 'non-heme iron'.

In addition, the ease of absorption of iron depends on 'what kind of drink you take together'. Therefore, Mr. Manziolis summarized the relationship between iron absorption and drinks as follows.

◆ Drinks that promote iron absorption
Drinking vitamin C-containing drinks, such as orange juice, tomato juice, and grapefruit juice, at mealtime increases the absorption of non-heme iron. Of was examined absorption rate of meal types and iron 2000

study According to the, when ingested together with the vitamin C of 100mg, that of the absorption rate of iron in the diet were up to four times. 100 mg of Vitamin C is just the amount contained in a glass of juice.

'For those who don't eat meat, it's very important to keep this in mind, as all the iron you get from your diet is non-heme iron,' Manziolis said.

◆ Drinks that inhibit iron absorption
Tea is a standard drink for meals, but the

tannins contained in tea inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron. Since tannins are sometimes classified as a type of polyphenol, they are also found in many foods that are said to be rich in polyphenols, such as cocoa, almonds, grapes, berries, pomegranate, vanilla, and spices such as cinnamon.

In addition, tannin is also contained in coffee, and chlorogenic acid contained in coffee also interferes with the absorption of iron. The effect of tea or coffee on the absorption of iron depends on how strong it is, so it cannot be said unconditionally, but it is said to be 60% for coffee and 70-80% for tea.

From the above, Mr. Manziolis said, 'If you are worried about iron deficiency, you should drink a small amount of orange juice at meal time or, if possible, eat a whole orange, and drink tea or coffee after meals. Maybe. '

◆ Milk and alcohol
Drinks containing lipids such as milk are sometimes said to interfere with iron absorption, but so far there are no studies or data to support this. On the other hand, vegetable milk such as soy milk contains phytate , a compound used by plants to store phosphorus, which has been shown to interfere with iron absorption.

Alcohol is also known to promote iron absorption, so beer and other beverages can be classified as drinks that help iron absorption. However, red wine is rich in tannins, so white wine is better when drinking wine at mealtime. However, alcohol has also been shown to increase the risk of cancer, so you should not dare to start drinking alcohol for iron intake.

'Compounds like tannins are more or less contained in plant products, which also has health benefits,' said Manziolis, who says that even healthy teas and coffees interfere with the absorption of iron. It would be virtually impossible to get healthy amounts of vegetables and fruits while avoiding these. Most people can get the amount of iron they need from their diet without much worry, and if If you are diagnosed with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia, you can also drink coffee or tea when you are not eating. '