If you have cold hands and feet, is beef the best way to supplement iron? Iron content in internal organs is surprising...

In winter, many women have cold hands and feet, and even have pale faces, which make people mistake them for "iceberg beauties" and they are nicknamed "ice and snow" beauties. Causes of cold hands and feet include the well-known hypothyroidism and heart disease, both of which may cause cold hands and feet. In fact, iron deficiency is also one of the culprits of cold hands and feet. When it comes to iron supplementation, the first thing that comes to mind is eating red meat, especially beef, but is it really the case? Let’s hear what the nutritionist says.

Anemia can cause cold hands and feet, which may be iron deficiency anemia

Why does iron deficiency cause cold hands and feet? Iron deficiency mainly refers to the depletion of iron stored in the liver. In the early stages of iron deficiency, the saturation of ferritin and transferrin gradually decreases. Once it is lower than the normal range, it means that the liver's iron storage has been exhausted. The hemoglobin value is an indirect indicator of "iron deficiency". Once the hemoglobin value is lower than the normal range, anemia symptoms will appear. Once the body is anemic, blood circulation will not be smooth, which will lead to cold hands and feet. Anemia generally manifests as iron deficiency anemia, so it can be said that cold hands and feet are most likely caused by iron deficiency in the body.

Nutritionist Cai Yixuan said that usually there are no other easily identifiable symptoms before anemia occurs. In moderate iron deficiency, muscles cannot carry enough oxygen, which reduces muscle work and exercise capacity, and also decreases immune function. In severe iron deficiency, hemoglobin synthesis decreases, causing fatigue, weakness, chills, pale complexion, and increases the chance of infection and death. It also affects children's growth and cognitive development.

Unexpected! Duck meat is better than beef in iron supplementation

Since you are iron deficient, you might as well take iron-rich foods. The foods that people often hear recommended for iron supplementation are mainly red meat, especially encouraging everyone to eat more beef. In fact, according to the Food Nutrition Facts Database of the Food and Drug Administration, a comparison of the iron content in meat found that if you look at it per 100 grams, the iron content of duck meat is actually (4.2 mg), which is not lower than beef (3.6 mg), and goose meat (3.1 mg) is right behind beef, followed by lamb (2.7 mg) and chicken (1.3 mg). It can be seen that beef is not the only meat that can be eaten to supplement iron.

【Comparison of iron content in meat】:

Cattle, ducks, geese, sheep > pigs > chickens

★Comparison of iron content in various meats:

In addition, it is surprising that in addition to meat, the iron content of meat offal is also very high, even exceeding that of duck, beef, goose, pork and chicken. According to the Food Nutrition Facts Database of the Food and Drug Administration, based on the unit of 100 grams, the results show that goose liver ranks first in iron content (44.6 mg), followed by pig blood (27.9 mg), and duck blood ranks third with iron content (15.6 mg).

★Comparison of iron content in viscera:

Iron in the diet is divided into hematogenous iron and non-hematogenous iron. Hematogenous iron is from animal sources, has a higher absorption rate (25%), and is less affected by dietary ingredients and intestinal environment; non-hematogenous iron is from plant sources, has a lower absorption rate (5%), and is affected by dietary ingredients and intestinal environment.

In addition to the different forms of iron, which cause different absorption rates, the following 4 factors will also affect iron absorption:

1. Requirement: Pregnant and breastfeeding women have higher requirements, and the body's absorption rate will increase.

2. Foods are high in iron and have a high absorption rate.

3. Dietary composition: dietary fiber and vitamin C content.

4. Others: hyaluronic acid, phosphorus, tannin.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the iron intake of Chinese people is generally insufficient, especially among women, where iron deficiency is more serious. Iron deficiency has become a common nutritional issue in countries around the world, especially for the following two groups at higher risk of iron deficiency:

1. Infants, children, and adolescents are a group that is growing rapidly.

2. Women of childbearing age and pregnant women.

Meat is high in fat, so remember to limit your intake

What should I pay attention to if I use meat or offal as an iron supplement? Nutritionist Cai Yixuan said that meat is a good source of iron, but meat is high in lipids, especially red meat, which is high in saturated fatty acids. Therefore, if you want to eat meat to supplement iron, you must remember to control the portion and try to choose leaner parts. The intake of red meat should not exceed 10% of the total daily calories. Offal with high iron content is more likely to have heavy metal and toxin residues, so you should buy hygienic, qualified and fresh offal, and clean it thoroughly before cooking.

Moderate supplementation of vitamin C promotes iron absorption

To promote iron absorption, it is necessary to supplement vitamins moderately, especially vitamin C, which is a good helper to promote iron absorption. It can reduce trivalent iron to easily absorbed divalent iron. It is recommended to eat it with broccoli, green pepper, guava, and kiwi fruit that are rich in vitamin C. The phytic acid and oxalic acid in vegetables will inhibit the absorption of iron, so they should be blanched before eating, or lemon juice or fruit should be added to the dishes to reduce the inhibitory effect; the tannic acid in tea has a strong inhibitory ability for iron absorption, so it should be avoided between meals and should be drunk 2 hours after meals; calcium will reduce the absorption rate of iron, so it is recommended not to take iron supplements and calcium tablets at the same time, or consume high-calcium and high-iron foods at the same time.