7 Iron Rich Drinks to Boost Your Hemoglobin

Anemia is one of the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies worldwide, especially among women.

In most cases, the deficiency of iron leads to anemia. Therefore, a healthcare expert will advise you to take iron supplements. However, in many circumstances, simply increasing your dietary iron consumption through iron-rich drinks is sufficient to restore your body’s iron level. 

Unfortunately, our busy schedules and hectic lifestyles prevent us from taking adequate nutrition through our meals. Therefore, we prefer snacking on foods that are ready to eat. However, these foods are unhealthy and pose health risks. But, we can quickly fulfil our body’s iron requirements by having iron-rich foods in the form of liquids.

This article will help you find out the best iron-rich drinks that you can consume to meet your iron requirements.

Iron Deficiency

According to the National Family Health Survey, nearly 50% of Indian women are iron deficient. Low iron consumption indicates a lack of haemoglobin synthesis, resulting in low oxygen levels in brain and lead to headache, dizziness and weakness.

Iron deficiency affects both men and women in equal amounts. However, it is a severe concern for women because they lose additional iron through blood loss during menstruation. Thus, it is critical to consume plenty of iron, which you can obtain from various fruits and vegetables.

Recommended Daily Iron Requirement to Boost Hemoglobin

People with anaemia should consume 100–200mg of iron each day. It is more than what you may get from a standard daily multivitamin or food.

Therefore, a doctor will usually prescribe iron supplements or elemental iron to treat anaemia. However, you can still increase your iron levels through food and beverage intake.

There are several forms of anaemia, each with its specific treatment options. The treatment course is usually a combination of iron rich foods and supplementation

It will help acquire an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. But, it is best to consume iron-rich foods and drinks for those who are borderline anaemic or those who are not anaemic. It is a preventive measure to avoid the possibility of anaemia or iron deficiency by consuming an iron rich diet regularly.

7 Iron Rich Drinks to Boost Your Hemoglobin

1. Prune Juice

Dried plums, also known as prunes, are a rich source of plant-based iron. Data suggests that 240 ml (one cup) of prune juice provides 2.8mg of iron, 17% of the daily requirement. Besides its iron-rich content, prune juice helps boosts energy.

In addition, the consumption of prune is healthy for people with diabetes because it doesn’t lead to a spike in blood sugar. It also helps prevent stomach-related issues like constipation. 

Although consuming prune juice helps fulfil daily iron requirements, you should also note that plant-based iron isn’t as bioavailable as animal iron or iron from supplements. Therefore, it’s preferable to regularly consume a balanced diet with a mix of plant and animal-based iron sources for healthy iron levels.

2. Beetroot Juice

Beetroot is high in numerous essential nutrients like folate, manganese, potassium, iron, betaine, and vitamin C.

Additionally, it improves the oxygen uptake in red blood cells. Studies show that regular consumption of beetroot juice can indeed improve hemoglobin levels. As a result, it increases the oxygen supply in the body. One hundred grams of beetroot contains 0.8mg of iron. You can flavour beetroot juice with amla or lemon and the vitamin C will further help improve iron absorption.

3. Pea Protein Shakes

Protein powders, such as whey, have less iron than pea protein powder. For example, a 20gm intake of organic yellow pea protein provides 30% of the daily value for iron.

Whey protein on the other hand has negligible amount of iron. Therefore, pea protein powder can be an excellent choice to improve iron intake.

You can consume pea protein in various ways, including shakes and smoothies. Use it in drinks with other iron-rich ingredients for a boost of iron. Try to consume unsweetened or unflavoured pea protein. It helps prevent excess calorie consumption, which may add to weight gain.

4. Mint Juice

Mint leaves have a surprisingly high amount of iron with 100 g of mint leaves containing 15.6 mg of iron. Adding 1 cup of fresh mint everyday will give you 4 mg of iron.  Blend mint leaves with 1/2 cup water, a teaspoon of jaggery and some lime juice for a refreshing iron rich drink.

5. Manathakkali Juice

Black Nightshade greens also known as Ganika soppu or kashi soppu has a whopping 20 mg of iron per 100 g. It is inexpensive and locally available and not many are aware of its high iron content. Blend a cup of the leaves with chilled water and 1 chopped fresh amla for an iron rich drink.

6. Mulberry Smoothie

Mulberries are high in vitamin C and iron, as one cup of mulberry extract contains 3.22mg of iron and 16.80mg of vitamin C. At the same time, vitamin C in mulberries help absorb iron from other food sources.

Unfortunately, mulberries aren’t always the most accessible fruit in the supermarket. However, if you get them, use them to prepare this smoothie to get an adequate dose of iron and vitamin C. You can make the mulberry smoothie by following these simple steps:

• Combine mulberries, bananas, milk, oats, chia seeds, and Greek yoghurt
• Blend them into a delicious morning smoothie. 

The smoothie will keep you full while also providing enough iron.

7. Sesame seeds and Dates Smoothie

This easy to make smoothie uses iron rich sesame seeds and dates to make a healthy iron rich drink.

Sesame seeds contain a delicious nutty flavour and are high in iron. Adding 4 dried dates with 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds will provide you with 4.45 mg of iron per serve. They’re also high in phosphorus, vitamin E, and zinc. Follow these simple steps to make a flaxseed and sesame smoothie:

• Add some milk and honey to a blender
• Put soaked dates and sesame seeds into this
• Blend till it turns smooth and thick
• Drink fresh

Summary

These juices will help to boost your iron requirement. Also these juices are not the substitute for the treatment. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor before including these in your daily diet.

Healthy Iron Rich Drink Recipes to Boost Your Hemoglobin

1. Beet and Orange Smoothie

Ingredients

• Orange: 1 (peeled)
• Beet: ½ cup
• Frozen strawberries: 1 cup
• Apple: 1
• Water: ½ cup

Method

1. Blend the ingredients until smooth
2. You can add lemon juice to give it a tangy flavour.

2. Spinach and Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients

• Spinach leaves: 2 cups
• Peeled orange: 1
• Pineapple: ½ cup
• Lemon juice: ½ teaspoon

Method

• Mix and blend the ingredients to get a thick smoothie
• Sprinkle some sesame seeds to enhance the iron content and give a crunch

Juices for Anaemia

Since juices differ from combining fruits and vegetables into a smoothie, the nutritious value of the meal gets affected. Smoothies contain entire fruits and vegetables that you mix. In contrast, juices involve crushing the fruit and vegetables.

As a result, juices release only the liquid and leave the pulp of the food behind. Indeed, it’s smooth in texture, but the fibre content changes significantly. Furthermore, juices do not have enough vitamin C for an iron boost.

The nutritional content of juices purchased at local grocery shops usually is labelled, but storage time and temperature can affect it.

For example, after 31 days of opening the juice and storing it in the fridge, the vitamin C level drops by 60 to 67%. Therefore, preparing juice at home is better to achieve the taste and texture you like while also getting the vitamin C you require.

Foods to Avoid that Reduce Iron Absorption

Phytates

Phytic acid or phytates are commonly found in seeds, grains, nuts and legumes and studies have shown that they can significantly hinder iron absorption. Soaking or sprouting these foods will reduce the phytic acid content. 

Calcium

Excessive calcium can prevent iron from getting absorbed from iron-rich diets. Thus, avoid consumption of dairy products while having an iron-rich meal. 

Heme and Nonheme Iron Foods

It is advisable to eat non-heme iron foods (plant sources) with heme-iron foods. Non-heme foods include beans, dark leafy greens, beets, mint leaves, Manathakkali greens sesame seeds etc. On the other hand, Heme-iron can be obtained from animal sources like organ meat, poultry and seafood.

Summary

Foods that contain tannins, calcium, phytates (whole grain products), oxalic acid (chocolate, peanuts) should be avoided. These foods hinder the process of absorption of iron in the body and advances iron deficiency. 

The HealthifyMe Note

As we have seen, iron deficiency anemia is a growing problem in our country.  Poor diets and poor iron absorption are common causes. Thankfully once identified, hemoglobin levels can be raised with a combination of an iron rich diet and supplements.

Preventing anemia by incorporating inexpensive and locally available iron rich foods along with vitamin c for absorption is suggested,

Conclusion

Fortunately, there’s an extensive list of iron and vitamin C-rich drinks that are healthy and delicious.However, you should avoid black and herbal teas, coffee, soak or sprout grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and alcohol.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is just to disperse knowledge and spread awareness. It does not intend to replace medical advice by professionals. For further information please contact our certified nutritions Here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. The burden of anemia among women in India
https://www.nature.com/articles/1601504

2. Prune juice, canned
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167753/nutrients

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Our Editorial Team

By: Parul Dube, Masters of Medical Science in Public Health Nutrition
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Poonam Sharma,
Last Reviewed By: Sumita Thomas
Date: April 12, 2023