Who is prone to iron deficiency?

...not only because I'm a distance runner, but also because I have an autoimmune deficiency that affects how my body absorbs nutrients from foods (or not, as the case may be) and have almost always been prone to anemia. Iron tablets and I don't get along, so I try to get my iron from a multi-vitamin supplement for women, spinach (that I love prepared every which way and raw), beef liver (used to be a monthly ritual to have liver and onions), mussels, red wine, kidney beans, black strap molasses, lentils, pumpkin seeds, sweet potatoes, whole grains and soy beans. I also make lots of hummus - oh, yum!

Spinach is also water rich and an excellent way to get some of your daily water requirement. Chopped and scrambled into whole egg or egg whites, or tossed into a quiche batter, is a nice way to enjoy the veggie. Most people don't like cooked spinach because they think it tastes bitter. That comes from over-cooking. Spinach cooks in mere seconds!

Hey Susan, thanks for the information. I really thought that iron deficiency ran in certain ethnicities and wasn't sure if it effected every culture.

Thanks for the information and the veggie options although I cringe at the thought of spinach.