Chicago - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's new report on the prevalence of iron deficiency -- the most common nutrition deficiency in the United States -- brings a mix of good and bad news. While, in the last 30 years, iron deficiency has declined among children one to three years of age, this condition is still relatively common. According to the CDC survey, 9 percent of children in this age group are iron deficient and 3 percent suffer from iron deficiency anemia.
"Iron deficiency in young children is a serious problem in terms of their cognitive development," said Connie Weaver, PhD, professor and head of the department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. "Infants who don't get enough iron experience developmental delays and behavior problems. When they reach school age, they score lower on I.Q. and other cognitive tests, and their overall academic performance may be poor.
"An essential step toward preventing iron deficiency is to consume a diet containing plenty of readily- absorbable iron-rich foods such as red meat, poultry or fish," said Weaver.
Beef is the best source of absorbable iron because it contains a high percentage of heme iron. Heme iron is a type of iron that is more easily absorbed by the body than is the non-heme iron found in plant foods such as grains, vegetables and fruits.
"Three ounces of cooked sirloin steak and a medium baked potato both contain about the same amount of iron (2.86 milligrams vs. 2.75 milligrams), but the amount of heme iron absorbed from the steak is two-and- a-half times greater than the non-heme iron absorbed from the potato," said Mary K. Young, MS, RD, Director of Nutrition Research and Information at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) in Chicago.
In addition to beef's heme iron being well-absorbed, beef also enhances the absorption of non-heme iron from plant sources.
"We call this the 'meat factor' effect because two to four times more non-heme iron from plant foods is absorbed when eaten in the same meal as meat," said Young. "So, you can boost your absorption of non- heme iron from that baked potato by eating it along with your steak."
The CDC survey also found that iron deficiency is prevalent among females of childbearing age. About 10 percent of adolescent girls and women aged 12- 49 are iron deficient and about 4 percent have iron deficiency anemia. Furthermore, an alarming 30 percent of low-income pregnant women are anemic by the end of their pregnancies, which can result in premature birth and low birth weight.
"Eating iron-rich foods such as beef is a primary way to prevent iron deficiency among women," said Young. "Unfortunately, some women avoid eating beef because they mistakenly believe it is high in calories and fat. But lean cuts of beef are not only iron-rich, they also fit easily into a healthful eating plan. For instance, a three-ounce cooked serving of beef top sirloin contains only 165 calories and 6 grams of fat."
The U.S.D.A. Food Guide Pyramid recommends two to three servings -- or a total of five to seven ounces -- of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish each day.
NCBA offers these tips for including iron-rich beef in the diet:
* For infants older than six months, offer options such as strained beef baby foods, beef sticks and chopped table foods such as cooked ground beef or meat loaf.
* Offer older children beef dishes made with lean ground beef such as hamburgers, Sloppy Joes, and tacos.
* Adult favorites include beef and vegetable stir-fries, grilled beef kabobs, and spicy beef and bean chili.
* To select the leanest cuts of beef, choose cuts with the words "loin" or "round" in the name. Examples include beef eye round, top round, tip round, top sirloin, top loin, and tenderloin.
For more information on beef's role in a healthful diet, as well as beef recipes, shopping, handling and cooking tips, visit the NCBA website at www.beef.org.
With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C., the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation's food and fiber industry.
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