Iron is one of the most essential minerals needed in our body for the proper transport of oxygen in the body cells. Lack of this mineral can directly affect your health and your body’s metabolism. Deficiency in iron leads you to several health conditions including anemia which if not treated can cause your blood cells to get choked due to the lack of oxygen molecules in them. Lack of iron also reduces your body’s resistance power to fight diseases and thus makes you more prone to all sorts of infections and diseases. This is one of the many reasons why we need to increase the iron intake in our body. But, for all vegans there are healthy vegetarian sources that help increase your body’s iron content.
Here are top 6 vegetarian sources that are rich in iron and should be included in our daily diet.
- Spinach
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Remember Popeye, the sailor man and his spinach can? Most of us, as kids, started eating spinach seeing the cartoon. Easy to digest, great in taste and one of the richest sources of iron, spinach has great nutrition values. You can make everything using it, right from soups and bhajias to palak paneer. Simply add a few drops of lemon juice to it and it will increase the absorbance of iron in your body.
Facts: Spinach helps prevent cravings and help in weight loss.
- Jaggery
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Come winter and most traditional Indian families start making chikki and sweets made out of jaggery. Rich in iron, jiggery helps increase the hemoglobin levels in our body. the effect of jaggery is best when consumed with peanuts.
Facts: Jaggery along with peanuts helps Curb hunger.
- Lotus stem
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Also known as kamal kakdi, they are easily available in the local markets. Lotus stem is highly used by Kashmiri people in their meals. It increases your blood count and can be cooked in various forms, including chips, stir-fried (with additional masalas) and also as a vegetable.
Facts: Helps avoid autism in kids by treating iron deficiency in pregnant women
- Beetroot
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The red color of beetroot says it all. You can juice it, add it into your salads or also make a stew out of it to enjoy its taste and also gain the nutrition out of it. Beetroot is also a rich source of Vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium.
Facts: Increases blood flow in the body, even to the extremities.
- Dandelion
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A natural remedy to treat anemia, dandelion is a herb which is widely used (the roots and other parts) for making medicines. Available in medical stores, it is rich in vitamin B-1, carotene, folic acid and iron.
Facts: Decoction of dandelion is most widely used in treating anemia.
- Spirulina
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A seaweed, spirulina is widely available in water bodies and sea which is then dried and converted into powdered form for treating conditions such as iron deficiency and anemia. Available in capsule forms, spirulina helps fight malnutrition and enhance your health.
Facts: An algae that grows in the sea, spirulina is consumed as a nutrition supplement for its health benefits and can keep away malnutrition despite a poor diet.
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