Ferropenic anemia: cómo mejorar la absorción de hierro de forma natural
El hierro es esencial para producir hemoglobina, protein that transports oxygen in the blood. However, Many people - especially women - do not absorb enough amount, lo que puede provocar anemia ferropénica, One of the most common nutritional deficiencies.
Symptoms range from fatigue and difficulty concentrating to pale or brittle nails. Fortunately, Improving iron absorption with some simple habits is possible ... and without supplements in many cases!
⚙️ Iron types: Do everyone absorb the same?
In food we find two types of iron:
HEMO iron: is in red meat, Fish and seafood. Is the one that is best absorbed (15-35%).
Iron No Hemo: Present in lentils, spinach, Tofu or whole cereals. Its absorption is lower (2-20%).
That's why, las personas con dietas vegetarianas o veganas deben prestar atención especial a cómo combinan los alimentos para optimizar la absorción de hierro.
Why does iron cost so much absorb?
Although a diet contains enough iron, There are people who present difficulties to absorb it effectively. This may be due to several factors: desde problemas digestivos como gastritis atrófica, celiac disease or irritable intestine syndrome, hasta alteraciones en la acidez del estómago, which is necessary to release and transform iron into an absorbable form.
Besides, el uso prolongado de antiácidos, the cirugía bariátrica o el envejecimiento pueden reducir la capacidad de absorción intestinal. That's why, It is not always enough with "eating more iron": es clave entender y abordar los factores individuales que están afectando la absorción.
🥩 Alimentos de origen animal ricos en hierro hemo (High absorption)
Liver (of veal, pollo, pig)
Red meat (veal, cordero)
Turkey and chicken (especially thigh)
Fish (Sardinas, tuna, salmon)
Seafood (clams, mussels, cockle)
🌱 Alimentos de origen vegetal ricos en hierro no hemo (lower absorption)
Lentejas
Garbanzos
Tofu
Espinacas
Acelgas
Kale (kale)
Semillas de calabaza y sésamo
Frutos secos (almonds, anacardos, Pistachos)
Avena
Pan y cereales integrales fortificados
Melaza de caña
Hábitos alimenticios que ayudan (The difficulty) la absorción de hierro
✅Consejo práctico: combina siempre alimentos ricos en hierro no hemo con fuentes de vitamina C para multiplicar su absorción. For example:
Lentil salad + limón exprimido
Tofu salteado + pimiento rojo
Avena + strawberries, mandarina o kiwi
🚫 Por el contrario, intenta evitar ciertos alimentos durante la comida principal, ya que inhiben la absorción de hierro:
The coffee (tannins)
Dairy (soccer)
Red wine (polyphenols)
The solution is not to eliminate them, sino espaciarlos en el tiempo: wait 1-2 hours to have that coffee after eating.
🍊 Foods rich in vitamin C. (To combine with the previous)
Oranges, Mandarins, kiwis
Fresas
Pimientos rojos y verdes
Brócoli
Tomate crudo
Zumo de limón
✅🍳 Técnicas de cocina que favorecen el hierro
Algunos gestos en la cocina pueden marcar la diferencia:
- ✅ Soak or germinate legumes and cereals: reduce fitatos (Iron inhibitors).
- ✅ Cooking with cast iron pans: It brings small amounts of iron to food, especially if they are acids (like tomato or lemon).
- ✅ Fermented vegetables: How Tempeh Miso, They decrease antinutrients and favor absorption.
- ❌ Avoid destroying vitamin C by cooking: La vitamina C es muy sensible al calor, so it is easily lost during cooking. To make the most of its effect, It is better to consume rich foods in this crude vitamin or add them at the end of the preparation. For example, You can add fresh peppers to a lentil salad or squeeze lemon juice on the plate just before serving.
Should I take iron supplements?
Before resorting to supplements, It can be interesting to assess whether your habits are the most appropriate and if with a slight change you can regulate iron levels.
En Laugan Getxo, valoramos tu caso individual y te ayudamos a recuperar tus niveles de hierro con estrategias personalizadas. Because good nutrition should not be based on restrictions, but in informed decisions.
I leave you a couple of links that talk about the same 🤓:
📍 How to avoid anemia – NIH: National institute of health
📍Hierro en la dieta – Medlineplus
¿Necesitas ayuda?
If you have symptoms like fatigue, Frequent weakness or dizziness, podrías estar frente a una anemia ferropénica leve sin diagnosticar. And with a few settings in your diet, You can recover your energy.
👉 Pide tu cita en Laugan y descubre cómo adaptar estos consejos a tu alimentación y estilo de vida.
