BetterNutrition August 2021

7Beans + Bell Pepper
Vital to transporting oxygen throughout the body,
iron is one of the most important minerals in our
diets. Of course, a hunk of steak is a stellar source, but you
can also get iron from plant-based foods such as beans, lentils,
tofu, fortified cereals, spinach, and some whole grains. But
there’s a catch: only 2 percent to 20 percent of the iron
found in plant foods, called non-heme iron,
makes its way from your digestive tract into
your blood. But Mother Nature has provided
an assist in the form of vitamin
C (ascorbic acid), which converts
plant-based iron into a form that
is more readily absorbed. That’s
why a study in the British Journal
of Nutrition found that women
who ate iron-fortified cereal with
kiwi fruit, which is especially rich
in vitamin C, were able to raise
their iron levels. Other vitamin
C-rich foods include bell peppers,
tomatoes, broccoli, citrus fruits, and
berries. That makes it a good idea to
load up a pot of chili with chopped peppers
and toss some tomatoes, or even sweet
berries, into lentil salads.
Double Trouble
Not all foods and drinks are a dream team. Time to divorce these couples that don’t play nice together.
Photo: Adobe Stock
TEA AND MILK
A study in the European Heart Journal
suggests that you shouldn’t follow the
lead of the Brits and spike your tea with
milk. Scientists discovered that adding
moo juice to tea blunted its cardiovascular
benefits. Casein protein in milk may
bind up antioxidants in tea, rendering
them less available for absorption. Milk
may also inhibit tea’s ability to activate
a special gene in the body that helps to
open blood vessels.
COFFEE AND OATS
You may not want to chase a bowl
of oatmeal with a cup of Joe. Certain
polyphenol compounds in coffee can
hamper the body’s ability to absorb iron
from plant sources such as grains and
legumes. Ditto for black tea. Ideally,
you want to wait at least one hour
after consuming plant-based iron
before drinking coffee or tea. The same
inhibitory effect doesn’t apply to iron in
animal-based foods such as beef.
WHITE BREAD AND JAM
If you’re going to include refined grains
and sugary foods in your diet, it’s best to
separate them. That’s because when you
combine two or more foods that each
have a high glycemic index, your blood
sugar will likely soar. What often follows
is a sudden sugar drop that can leave you
feeling tired and moody. And over time,
these spikes in blood sugar brought on by
eating too many poor carbs can lead to
metabolic conditions such as diabetes.
AUGUST 2021 • 37