Iron Rich Foods for Fertility
In a previous post listing 10 nutrition recommendations to boost your fertility I included how important getting enough iron, especially from plant sources is to our fertility.
Focusing on getting iron from plant foods like fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and grains may come as a surprise since we usually think of iron as coming from animal foods like beef, pork, and other meats. While these are certainly great sources they are not the only sources. And when it comes to fertility they may not even be the best sources.
Chavarro and his colleagues found taking iron supplements and eating nonheme (fancy way of saying iron from plant sources) iron may help lower the risk of ovulatory infertility.
Iron deficiency is extremely common; in fact it is the most common mineral deficiency in the world and is especially common in women. We should all be looking for ways to make sure we are getting enough of this mineral. Whether you are looking to boost your fertility or prevent or correct iron deficiency and anemia, including plant foods high in iron is a good idea.
Plant Sources of Iron:
- Beans, beans, beans! All varieties: kidney, lima, mung, navy, pinto, soy, black the list goes on and on.
- Lentils
- Seeds: sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin
- Oats
- Dried Fruit
- Spinach
- Nuts
Bonus Tip: Pair these iron rich foods with foods high in vitamin c to help your body absorb the iron better. One trick one of my mentors uses is drinking lemon water with all of her meals. The vitamin c from the lemon juice makes sure any iron in her meals is more easily taken up by her body. Genius!
