Dr Justine Butler on getting all the iron you need on a vegan diet

It gets tiresome, people telling us that we need meat for iron, but this old myth is deeply entrenched. Meat does contain iron, in the same way that we do! But it’s not the best source for a number of reasons. If you want the good stuff, read on!

Why do we need iron?

Iron is an essential part of the oxygencarrying proteins haemoglobin and myoglobin. Haemoglobin, found in red blood cells, carries oxygen from your lungs to the tissues in your body. Myoglobin stores oxygen in your muscles so that they can use it if your oxygen supply is insufficient, for example, during vigorous exercise.

Iron also makes up part of many different proteins found in the body. It’s a vital mineral and deficiency can lead to tiredness, weakness, feeling cold, inability to concentrate, a weakened immune system and anaemia.

Iron occurs in two forms:

• Haem iron is found in meat and fish and is readily absorbed in the body where it can accumulate and cause damage. Excess haem iron encourages the production of free radicals which damage DNA. It’s also associated with raising heart disease risk.