Thinking about donating blood? Here’s what you need to know about this essential nutrient, iron!

What does Iron do?

Iron is a mineral that binds with oxygen to transport it to organs, tissues and any kind of cell in the body via your Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Our body uses oxygen for many processes, one of the most important of these being the production of energy. Not having enough iron in your body can alter the way your bone marrow produces Red Blood cells. That can make these cells start getting weird shapes, shrink, or even stop producing as many!

Your body needs a minimum intake of Iron to function properly. The following table shows exactly how much, depending on your age and sex:

Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board

Dietary Iron comes in two forms, heme and non-heme. In very simple terms, heme iron comes from animals and non-heme iron comes from plants. They are different from each other only in bioavailability, which is just how much iron is available to be absorbed by the body in each source. This is great news for vegetarians because it means that they can still get their iron intake with non-animal sources.

Some great sources of iron are seafood, beef, chicken, fortified cereal, beans, tofu, chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes and many more! All of these options are available in each of our five dining commons.

People that have a mixed diet absorb iron so much better! This is because other vitamins actually enhance the bioavailability of iron, especially Vitamin C. One of the reasons dietitians always recommend a diet full of variety and color!

The flip side to that is that people that have a diet high in calcium actually inhibit iron absorption. Calcium is found in dairy products such as milk, yogurt and eggs. Other foods that inhibit iron absorption are oxalates (like the ones found in tea) and polyphenols (found in coffee). The key is to have these foods in moderation and always try to includes lots of colorful foods in your diet!

A healthy level of iron is essential if you are trying to donate blood. By donating blood, you will be helping to save the lives of thousands who are in the hospital recovering from surgeries and other trauma that causes blood loss. Blood that is donated can also be used in disaster relief, such as those affected by the recent natural disasters in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Blood donation is an important part of our nation’s hospital structure, as it allows us to maintain a consistent and full supply of blood for whenever it is needed. Having too little iron in your body is a common reason people are unable to donate. If you’re looking to bring up your iron intake, check out these foods that are all good sources of iron. The best part is, all of these foods can be found in the dining commons!

• • For a more detailed list, visit the Red Cross website to find out more: http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods.html

Works Cited

Petre, Alina. “21 Vegetarian Foods That Are Loaded With Iron.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 4 May 2017, www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods.

Mann, Felicity. “Iron.” Why We Need It, How It Affects Our Body and Natural Sources, Alfred Vogel , 7 Sept. 2015, www.avogel.co.uk/food/vitamins-and-minerals/iron/

“Iron-Rich Foods.” American Red Cross, Red Cross, www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods.html.

“Office of Dietary Supplements – Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iron.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Feb. 2016, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/.