As autumn and winter approach, advertisements everywhere remind you that you need to nourish!
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) often states that women are fundamentally reliant on blood, but factors such as menstruation and childbirth frequently lead to blood deficiency. Today, let’s discuss the lifelong issue of nourishment for women—
blood nourishment!
Relying on red dates for blood nourishment? That’s a big mistake!
Many women believe that eating red dates can nourish blood and prevent or treat menstrual anemia and postpartum blood loss. So, what conclusions can we draw from a nutritional perspective?
The truth is—eating only red dates has poor iron supplementation effects
★ Red dates contain very little iron
Among women, iron deficiencyanemiais quite common. To prevent and treat it, iron supplementation is necessary. However, the iron content in dates is not significant.
Every 100 grams of fresh jujube (hereinafter referred to as fresh dates) contains 1.2 mg of iron, while dried red dates (hereinafter referred to as dried dates) contain 2.3 mg, which is much lower compared to animal sources.
Moreover, the amount of red dates we consume at a time is not very large.
Taking an average of 3 to 5 red dates daily, consuming 50 grams of fresh dates (pitted) or 25 grams of dried dates (pitted), the iron intake is only about 0.6 mg. This is far from the recommended daily intake—12 mg for men and 20 mg for women.
★ Iron from dates is harder to absorb
Our body absorbs different types of iron at different rates:
Iron from animal foods is heme iron, with an absorption rate of over 10% to 20%;
Dates belong to plant foods, with an absorption rate of only 3% to 5%.
Therefore, relying solely on red dates for blood nourishment, even if you eat a basketful every day, is unlikely to yield good results.
So, what foods are effective for blood nourishment? Don’t worry! Check out the following rankings!
Blood Nourishment Ranking #5: Egg Yolk
Every 100 grams of egg yolk contains 7 mg of iron. Although its iron absorption rate is only 3%, eggs are readily available, easy to store, and rich in other nutrients, making them a good supplementary food source for infants and young children.
Blood Nourishment Ranking #4: Black-boned Chicken
Black-boned chicken has the effects of warming the middle, benefiting qi, nourishing the liver and kidneys, delaying aging, and strengthening bones. It is very effective for women with irregular menstruation and excessive postpartum blood loss.
Blood Nourishment Ranking #3: Lean Meat
Whether it is pork, beef, or lamb, their heme iron is not only abundant but is what people commonly refer to as red meat. These red meats are rich in iron and have an absorption rate of up to 20%.
Blood Nourishment Ranking #2: Animal Blood
Animal blood and its products are rich in iron. Every 100 grams of pig blood contains 8.7 mg of iron; every 100 grams of duck blood contains over 30 mg of iron. Compared to the red dates that are commonly thought to nourish blood, the iron content in animal blood products is indeed abundant and almost entirely heme iron, which is easily absorbed and utilized, greatly aiding in blood nourishment.
Therefore, regularly consuming animal blood and its products can indeed provide the body with a significant amount of iron for the production of hemoglobin—this is beneficial for preventing and treating iron deficiency anemia.
Blood Nourishment Ranking #1: Animal Liver
Animal liver is rich in iron and is one of the ideal foods for blood nourishment. It can be braised, stir-fried, or made into soup, and it is recommended to pair it with green vegetables. Young people can eat it twice a week, 10 to 30 grams each time, while those over 50 can eat it once every two weeks.
Knowing this, don’t say you can’t nourish your blood anymore!
★ Plant-based foods have poor blood nourishment effects
Plant-based foods generally have low iron content and low absorption rates. Relatively higher iron sources include soybeans, black beans, black fungus, spinach, amaranth, sesame, longan (dried longan), citrus, and raisins.
★ Eating more vitamin C-rich foods aids iron absorption
Research has found that vitamin C significantly promotes the body’s absorption of iron. Therefore, during the period of blood nourishment, it is important to consume foods rich in vitamin C (mainly fresh vegetables and fruits), such as leeks, celery leaves, tomatoes, citrus, kiwifruit, winter jujubes, and strawberries.
★ Proper cooking is very important
Although vegetables like spinach and amaranth have relatively high iron content, oxalic acid and phytic acid in vegetables can affect iron absorption. Therefore, before cooking, blanch the vegetables in boiling water to remove most substances that affect iron absorption, thus greatly improving iron absorption rates.
Additionally, using an iron pot for cooking can moderately increase iron intake, while avoiding non-stick and aluminum pots is advisable.
Editor: Wang Dalu
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