Iron

Iron is a mineral that occurs in both plant and animal tissue. Because the body tends to retain iron very effectively, only trace amounts are needed in the diet. But iron is essential to form the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in red blood cells, and it is also involved in muscle functioning and in enzyme reactions for producing energy.

Iron's major function is to combine with protein and copper in making hemoglobin. Hemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the tissues which need oxygen to maintain basic life functions. Iron builds up the quality of the blood, and increases resistance to stress and disease. It is also necessary for the formation of myoglobin which is found only in muscle tissue. Myoglobin supplies oxygen to muscle cells for use in the chemical reaction that results in muscle contraction. Iron also prevents fatigue and promotes good skin tone.

A deficiency of iron may result in general weakness, paleness of skin, constipation, and/or anemia.

The lists of plants following are two kinds: quantitative and alphabetical. The quantitative list presents plants and plant products containing significant amounts of the nutrient involved, in approximate order from highest to lowest content for a given weight. Plants marked with an asterisk (*) contain significantly more of the nutrient than do the unmarked plants. Those marked with a double asterisk (**) contain considerably more than those with a single asterisk. Unless otherwise noted, all items are fresh and unprocessed. Dried fruits are often included without their fresh equivalents because the dried versions weigh considerably less and therefore contain more nutrients than the same weight of fresh fruit.

1. **Rice polish, **blackstrap molasses, *kelp (edible), *wheat germ, *sunflower seeds, *parsley, *black walnuts, *apricots (dried), almonds (dried), figs (dried), green amaranth, cashews (roasted), purslane, raisins, Brazil nuts, beet tops, chard, dates (dried), dandelion greens, spinach, English walnuts, mustard greens, soybeans, wild persimmons, pecans, turnip greens, peanuts (roasted), barley, lentils, leaf lettuce, peas, rice (brown), olives (canned), elderberries, asparagus, endive, pokeweed (young shoots), prunes, watercress, lima beans, yellow dock, maple syrup, broccoli, artichokes, kale, lamb's-quarters, cauliflower, radishes, blackberries, chicory greens.

1. Apples, beans, beets, blueberries, burdock (root), cabbage, carrots, celery, cherries, collards, cucumbers, currants, grapes, leeks, mullein, nettle (young leaves), oats, onions, oranges, parsnips, pears, potatoes, restharrow, rhubarb, rose hips, shave grass, silverweed, sorrel, strawberries, tomatoes, turnips, wheat (whole), witch grass (rootstock), yellow toadflax.

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