You know that shiny brand cereal box in the cupboard? The one shouting at you with labels like “high fibre,” “heart healthy,” “fortified with vitamins,” and “good source of whole grains”. Sounds like a dream, right? I hate to burst that health halo, but bran cereal could be secretly blocking iron in your children’s bodies and in yours too.
Here’s the thing: bran cereals are made from the outer layer of grains, wheat bran, oat bran, rice bran. Yes, that layer has fibre, but it’s also high in something called phytates. These little compounds are iron’s worst enemy. They bind to iron in your food and stop your body from absorbing it. Nasty iron blockers!
Why does this matter? Because iron is already something many of us, especially women and busy parents, run low on. I grew up in Egypt where tea is practically a national obsession. Everyone has a mug (or two) after meals. But tea blocks iron absorption too, which is one reason anaemia is such a massive issue there. Bran cereals can have the same effect.
Even if you’re eating spinach, taking iron supplements, or adding red meat, those bran flakes could be quietly undoing your efforts. No wonder so many of us feel tired, drained, and foggy all the time. And it’s not just iron, phytates also block other essential minerals.
Zinc: Your immune system’s front-line soldier. It heals wounds, fights infections, and balances hormones (especially vital for women in perimenopause or with PCOS).
Magnesium: The nervous system’s natural calmer. It regulates muscle function, blood sugar, blood pressure, mood, and even sleep.
Calcium: Not just for bones, it’s crucial for muscle contractions, nerve function, and keeping your heart beating.
Manganese: Less famous, but vital for metabolism, bone health, and antioxidant protection.
Here’s the kicker: you can’t simply out-supplement phytates. If absorption is blocked, it doesn’t matter how much you eat or swallow in pill form. And those “fortified with minerals” claims on cereal boxes? Useless, because your gut can’t absorb the good stuff anyway.
And for my keto queens, let’s call it what it is. Bran cereal is a breakfast disaster. It’s marketed as a health food, but one small bowl can have 30–40g of carbs. That’s your daily limit gone in one sitting, with hardly any vitamins or antioxidants to show for it. Just a carb wallop with nutrient-blocking side effects.
So, what’s better for breakfast? Keep it simple:
- Eggs with leftover veggies (or on their own, they’ll still fill you up).
- Full-fat Greek yoghurt with chia seeds, flaxseeds, and berries (just make sure it’s sugar-free).
- Feeling fancy? A little liver pâté on cucumber slices, low carb, iron-rich, and surprisingly tasty.
Breakfast should fuel you, not rob you of energy.
At Dietapplements, we pack iron and other essential nutrients into our marine collagen with biotin and hyaluronic acid, as well as our raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with the mother. No fluff, just supportive nutrition that works with your body, not against it.
So next time you’re in the cereal aisle and see that shiny box of bran flakes, just keep walking, love. Just keep walking.
If clean, no-nonsense supplements are your thing, have a peek at our range. We’ve got collagen to pamper your skin, biotin for strong hair, apple cider vinegar for a healthy waistline, glucosamine for happy joints, and maca to give your libido the love it deserves.
I’d love to know, what’s your go-to breakfast? I usually stick with eggs or salmon. Let’s swap ideas in the comments.
-Written by Hala Ali, founder of Dietapplements
