Final answer:
b) Tomato and meat, fish, or poultry. To increase iron absorption, it's best to pair iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, along with meat, fish, or poultry. Foods or drinks like tea, coffee, and calcium supplements can inhibit iron absorption and should be avoided at the same meal.
Step-by-step explanation:
To facilitate iron absorption from a food source of iron, it is recommended to consume food high in vitamin C along with iron-containing food. The correct option from the given choices is b) Tomato and meat, fish, or poultry. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, which can greatly enhance the absorption of iron, particularly the non-heme iron found in plant foods but also aids in the absorption of the more bioavailable heme iron from animal products such as meat, fish, and poultry.Consuming foods or drinks that contain polyphenols, phytates, or calcium, such as tea, coffee, wheat bran, and calcium supplements, may inhibit iron absorption. Therefore, one should not consume these along with iron if the goal is to maximize iron absorption.
Maintaining a balance in the diet is essential, as excessive intake of certain nutrients can interfere with the utilization of others, like how excessive calcium can interfere with iron absorption.The answer is (b) Tomato and meat, fish, or poultry.Iron absorption is enhanced by protein, possibly as a result of the formation of low molecular weight digestive products (peptides, amino acids) which can form soluble iron chelates. Foods that contain iron, such as meat, fish, and poultry, are good sources of protein, which can help facilitate iron absorption.Consuming tomato along with iron-containing foods is also beneficial as tomato contains vitamin C, which helps increase the absorption of iron in the body.