No Iron Foods

Iron is an essential mineral to the body, but those with the condition hemachromotosis suffer from an excessive and dangerous buildup of iron in their body. Uncontrolled hemochromatosis can cause fatigue, abdominal pain, lack of energy, weight loss and loss of body hair. Dietary control is not the primary treatment for the condition, but can be helpful to keep it under control.

Fiber-rich Vegetables

Though vegetables contain at least a trace of iron content, it is less available in produce for two reasons. The high fiber content in vegetables blocks iron from being absorbed, making the net iron absorption in both vegetables and foods eaten simultaneously lower.The type of iron in veggies is "nonheme" iron, a type of iron that is much less absorbable than the iron from meat. Especially high-fiber vegetables are avocados, sun-dried tomatoes, lima beans, artichokes, peas, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, endive, fennel, green beans and okra.

Dairy

Not only are dairy products exceptionally low in iron, the calcium in milk further prevents iron from being absorbed. In fact, the Health section of "The New York Times" made it clear that the iron which dairy contains is only nonheme iron, which is the most difficult to absorb. If you are hoping to reduce intake even more, adapt soy substitutes to your diet like soymilk or soy yogurt. A compound called phytates in those foods blocks iron absorption to help keep levels down.

Nonfortified Grains and Cereals

Since iron deficiency is a much more prevalent problem than excess iron, many cereals and grains are processed to include it. According to guidelines from the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society, avoiding hot and cold cereals that are fortified, such as instant oatmeal and cream of wheat, can keep iron intake lower. The Iron Overload Diseases Association suggests checking labels of cereals to determine iron content, choosing cereals like regular oatmeal or shredded wheat over fortified ones such as Total.

Animal Products

If suffering with iron overload, you can still enjoy some meat, but should avoid red meat such as beef, veal and venison, which are the richest sources of easily absorbable iron. Compared to the 4.5 g of iron in each serving of venison and 2.9 g per serving of rump steak, chicken only contains 0.6 mg per serving, while cod contains 0.2 mg and salmon 0.6 mg. The Iron Disorders Institute says generally that chicken, fish and pork have less absorbable iron than red meat, making them a better choice if hoping to forego meat. Vegetarian alternatives for leading types of meat would still satisfy the desire for the taste while providing much less iron content.. Although some faux meat products made from vegetarian alternatives may contain something like 10 percent of the daily recommended amount, iron from plant sources is not absorbed nearly as well as iron from the best meat sources.