Iron Sources Beyond Red Meat: Chicken Liver and Plant-Based Foods
The publication “Health” says red meat is not the only good source of iron and singles out chicken liver as especially rich. Liver intake should be limited during pregnancy because of its high vitamin A content.
Iron is an essential mineral for the body. It is needed to form haemoglobin and to carry oxygen around the body. An article published by the Latvian newspaper Latvijas Avīze on 11 October, based on a piece from “Health”, stresses that red meat is by no means the only good source of iron. This matters for people who lack iron and for pregnant women, for whom this indicator is especially important to monitor.
Not only meat
The article says that several animal-based and plant-based foods can supply a very significant amount of iron in a single serving. The topic tags of the material mention oysters, canned tomatoes, lentils, spinach, tofu and dark chocolate, as well as red meat and chicken liver. The source text describes in detail only the first item on its list, chicken liver.
Chicken liver
A 85-gram serving contains 9.86 mg of iron, roughly 54% of the daily requirement. The iron in liver is heme iron, which the body absorbs better than plant-based, or non-heme, iron. The article states that on average about 25% of heme iron is absorbed.
Liver also contains vitamin B12, needed for forming red blood cells and for nervous system function, as well as folate, which takes part in cell division and DNA synthesis. It also provides high-quality protein, zinc, selenium and riboflavin, or vitamin B2.
Why liver should not be overdone
Liver holds a great deal of vitamin A in the form of retinol. It is needed for vision, immunity and skin health, but an excess is undesirable. For that reason, liver and liver products are usually advised to be avoided or strictly limited during pregnancy. For people with iron deficiency, liver can be a valuable food, but it does not need to be eaten every day.
