Consuming too much iron can be fatally toxic and having too little iron leads to anemia. Anemia is a condition where you do not make enough red blood cells for your body to properly function leading to constant fatigue or even death.
So, we are constantly striving to find a middle ground, an ideal intake of iron that will result in optimal health. For those who suffer from anemia, simply taking iron supplements or chasing down iron rich foods is not sufficient. In order to make blood, you need both iron and folate. Therefore, a diet that is rich in both iron and folate such as a whole plant diet will do the trick. That was my first hand experience.
Good sources of Iron are: Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, nuts, beans, lentils, potato skin, and more.
Good sources of Folate are: Dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and more.
Refined source of iron are: Iron supplement pills. It absorbs better with food especially with an acidic chaser like vitamin c or orange juice.
Refined source of folate are: Folic acid pills. May be prescription or over the counter depending on the strength of the pill.
It is advised that everyone, especially young women that have not reached menopause check their iron levels especially if they experience heavy menstrual cycles. And like is said above, a healthy whole plant diet just might do the trick in helping you find your balance and optimal iron intake.
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