Print This Article Post Comment Add To Favorites Email to Friends Ezine Ready

Dietary Sources Of Iron And Folic Acid

By: Kevin Pederson Home | Health-and-Fitness


Folic acid is a collective term for pteroylglutamic acids and their oligoglutamic acid conjugates. Folic acid deficiency results in macrocytic anemia due to impairment of erythrocyte synthesis and is associated with elevation of plasma homocysteine levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including coronary atherosclerosis, stroke, and thromboembolism.

While the dietary sources of folic acid are in abundance, proper care should be taken while cooking. The more you burn the gas the less the nutrients so just try to steam the vegetables. One other way to save the folic acid content is through heating them with as little water as possible. Natural sources of folic acid include whole-grain breads and cereals, orange juice, kidney beans, yeast, liver, and dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and spinach.

Folic acid and cobalamin (vitamin B12) serve as components of coenzymes in 1-carbon reactions such as the methylation of homocysteine to methionine. Other sources would include citrus fruits and juices, dried beans and peas, fortified breads, cereals, lentils, legumes, peanuts, whole grain products, beef, chicken, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spring greens, kale, okra and fresh peas and the pulses are chickpeas, black-eyed beans, and lentils. Neural tube birth defects during pregnancy are prevented by use of folic acid supplements.

Iron is a metallic element that occurs in the heme of hemoglobin, myoglobin, transferrin, ferritin, and iron-containing porphyrins, and is an essential component of enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase, and the various cytochromes. Its salts are used medicinally. Non-heme iron derives itself from plant and animal tissues and from hemoglobin and myoglobin.

Iron deficiency can result in anemia. Iron supplements form an important part of the diet in women during the pregnancy period. It is for a fact that the iron stores could be stabilized in the body easily by ingesting meat products than the vegetables, but still there are a lot number of iron resources than one could imagine in the vegan part too.

Natural dietary sources of heme iron would include beef, meat, fish, poultry, liver, eggs, pork, red meat, and turkey. To see it in a vegetarian way, non-heme iron would include whole meal breads, apricots, kidney beans, and spinach. Other sources of iron would include fortified greens, tomato, potato, green and red chillies, fortified breads, cereals, beans, and legumes. The following have the much-needed iron extracts to fill the iron reserves in human body and they include shellfish, shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters, lean meats, beef, and liver, ready-to-eat cereals with added iron, turkey dark meat, sardines, cooked dry beans, pinto beans, peas, black-eyed peas, seaweed, dried fruits, pulses, wheat germ, bran, yeast, nuts, seeds, parsley, molasses, jaggery, and enriched and whole grain breads.



Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

About the Author:
Kevin Pederson, webmaster for home remedies, such as Home Remedies gives you natural cures to treat daily commonly faced ailments in the comfort of your home. He also writes for other health sites such as yoga, hair-n-skin care and more.

Tags: , , , ,

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Health-and-Fitness Articles Via RSS!

Recent Related Articles From Health-and-Fitness

  • Benefits Of Folic Acid
    By: Rich Marsiglia | Jun 28th 2006
    Information regarding the importance of folic acid in ones diet. Read

  • Folic Acid Pregnancy
    By: laura jane | May 5th 2010
    One of the most exciting times in a person's life is to find out that they are going to be bringing a new life into this world by expecting a baby. The main concern for anyone who is expecting is that they make the right choices during this critical time in their child's life which will have a positive impact on the child's ... Read

  • Folic Acid Deficiency Test
    By: Lena Butler | Sep 28th 2007
    Folic acid is an important nutrient coming from the vitamin B class. Folic acid is a key component in developing the RNA and DNA of the cells Read

  • Folic Acid: What It Is & Where It Comes From?
    By: Tarun Gupta | Nov 12th 2007
    Folic acid (C19H19N7O6), also known as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, Vitamin M, folate, folinic acid, folacin etc., is a water soluble compound which is better known as vitamin B9 to normal" people who live outside chemistry Labs! It is found mostly in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and enriched gra ... Read

  • Taking Folic Acid While Pregnant Is Good For Fetal Health
    By: Darrell Miller-1603 | Aug 28th 2008
    It is important to take a prenatal vitamin when pregnant especially folic acid to help prevent birth defects such as neural tube defects like spina bifida. Read

  • Sources Of Folic Acid
    By: bethvinas | Nov 14th 2009
    One of the most important vitamins is the folic acid which is very essential for proper fitness of the body. This is B vitamin and many people have deficiency of this vitamin. In order to receive good amount of folic acid, you should try to eat the food products that are rich in it. Read

  • Are You Folic Acid Deficient?
    By: Lena Butler | Nov 13th 2007
    Until recently, the role of Folic acid in the prevention of diseases had been ignored. Even the most obsessed health food enthusiast knew nothing about the importance of a Folic acid rich diet. That was until research eventually unearthed the myriad ways in which Folic acid affects health and wellness Read

  • Information About Folic Acid
    By: minnierz9t | Oct 26th 2009
    The folic acid is also known as vitamin b9 in general use. Along with folic acid folate, pteroyl-L-glutamic acid and pteroyl-L-glutamate are water soluble forms of vitamin b9. Read

  • Folic Acid - A Type Of Vitamin B
    By: Gabriel Hugo | Dec 11th 2009
    Folic acid is a type of vitamin B (B9) which is mostly found in green vegetables. It is also called Folate, Folacin, vitamin B9 and Pteroylglutamic acid. It helps the body to make new cells. Read

  • Folic Acid May Reduce Birth Defects And Aid In Cancer Treatment
    By: Darrell Miller-1603 | May 18th 2007
    If you are in child bearing years, learn how folic acid could help prevent some birth defects while the baby is developing. Read


Copyright © 2005-2011 eArticlesOnline, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy