Did you know babies run out of the iron stores they accumulated during pregnancy right around 4-6 months, which lines up perfectly with the time they begin to eat some solid food! Some of you may know, that heme iron, the type predominantly from blood and muscle tissue, is more absorbable than plant non-heme iron. Naturally we think that’s a good thing, but that’s not actually the case. I learned from cardiologist Dr. Kim Williams of Rush University that heme iron actually plays a big role in the formation of arterial plaque and causes inflammation. We also know from autopsies of children who have died from accidents that atherosclerosis (arterial plaque) begins by the age of TEN and has even been found in THREE year olds!
The cool thing is that even though plant based eaters have lower stores of iron, there is no higher incidence of anemia in plant eaters vs. meat eaters. Our bodies naturally regulate iron absorption from plants, which prevents iron overload. However, heme iron from animals is readily absorbed and not well regulated by the body. Once heme iron is absorbed, the body has no mechanism to remove excess iron.
Plant sources of iron abound! Legumes, seeds, whole grains and dark leafy greens being some of the best! There are also ways you can increase absorption of the iron! Combining an iron rich food with a vitamin C rich food like citrus, strawberries, pineapple, melon, kiwi and bell peppers can triple absorption and combining an iron rich food with a food from the allium family (onions & garlic) can increase absorption up to 65-73%!
Another thing to keep in mind is that if your child is consuming a lot of iron rich foods and is still anemic, dairy consumption inhibits iron absorption as well so eliminating dairy can be helpful (there are plenty of plant sources of calcium too). Another factor that affects iron absorption is the health of the gut lining.
Here’s what I’ve been feeding my 9 month old baby – kamut wheat puffs (I found at Wegmans and Whole Foods with strawberries, edamame with clementine, and Cybele’s lentil pasta with kiwi. We’ve transitioned to mostly baby led weaning now but you could easily mash or purée these too. Fortified whole grain baby cereals can be a good source as well. My baby also goes crazy for my morning green smoothie with kale and strawberries! Smoothies are a great way to get dark leafy greens in children!
