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How to Help Your Body Absorb More Iron With Strawberries

Contributor
By Janet Lenius
eHow Contributing Writer
(2 Ratings)

Strawberries may seem like an unlikely candidate for helping the body absorb iron, but the powerhouse they contain of vitamin C is key to their effectiveness.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Strawberries

    How to Help Your Body Absorb More Iron With Strawberries

  1. Step 1

    Eat strawberries to benefit by their ability to help you absorb more iron.

  2. Step 2

    Consume foods high in vitamin C with your protein, including strawberries, citrus foods, broccoli, tomatoes, green peppers and kiwis. Because iron is a mineral that is essential to life, as it carries oxygen in the blood to each and every cell in the body. But eating that big, juicy steak is only the first step towards getting enough iron. To help the body absorb the iron, it needs foods high in vitamin C.

  3. Step 3
    Strawberry Protein Smoothie
    Strawberry Protein Smoothie

    Maximize your iron absorption by eating the iron-rich food at the same meal as the food rich in vitamin C. The most literal interpretation would be to eat whole strawberries at the same meal with meats. But the same effect could be had by drinking a smoothie containing strawberries and an iron-enriched protein powder, as in this recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/124090.

  4. Step 4

    Pairing strawberries with a protein in a delicious way with no-bake Peanut Butter Strawberry Protein Balls. It combines strawberry whey with peanut butter, flaxseed meal and wheat germ. The strawberry whey can be purchased at health food stores. Check out the recipe in the resources section at the end of the article.

  5. Step 5

    Try the Strawberry Pork Chops, which are detailed in the link in the resources section.

Tips & Warnings
  • Buy organic strawberries as often as possible. The Environmental Working Group rates strawberries 6th in pesticide load out of 45 fruits and vegetables tested.
  • Use caution when feeding strawberries for the first time to babies or young children, as this fruit can be allergenic. Feeding only a small part of a strawberry at first will allow you to watch for tell-tale signs of food sensitivities, such as a rash on the bottom.
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