A study published in the journal ESC Heart Failure linked iron deficiency with a 24% higher risk of heart disease, a 26% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and a 12% greater risk for all-cause mortality, compared with not having an iron deficiency. The study, based on data from more than 12,000 European adults over about 13 years, suggested that sufficient levels of iron may prevent about 1 in 10 new cases of heart disease in middle-aged adults. Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
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Iron from Plant based foods is safer than iron from animal foods because:
Epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested that the high heme iron content in red meat is associated with several diseases, including heart diseases, diabetes and cancer.
Chemical contaminants formed from high temperature cooking of cooked animal products: When flesh is cooked, compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,27 heterocyclic amines,28 and advanced glycation end products29 are formed. These compounds are carcinogenic, pro-inflammatory, prooxidative, and contributive to chronic disease.
Although heme iron, found in animal products, is absorbed at a higher rate than nonheme iron, found in plant-based and fortified foods, absorption of nonheme iron can be increased by pairing plant-based protein sources with foods high in vitamin C.