Iron in Your Diet
What is iron?
Iron is a mineral that combines with protein to form hemoglobin, the red substance in blood that carries oxygen to the body's cells. Iron helps prevent nutritional anemia and increase resistance to infection. Hemochromatosis is a disease in which too much iron builds up in the body, causing iron overload. How much iron we need depends on age and gender.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Iron (*adequate intake)
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0.27 mg* | 0.27 mg* | ||
| 7 to 12 months | 11 mg | 11 mg | ||
| 1-3 years | 7 mg | 7 mg | ||
| 4-8 years | 10 mg | 10 mg | ||
| 9-13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg | ||
| 14-18 years | 11 mg | 15 mg | 27 mg | 10 mg |
| 19-50 years | 8 mg | 18 mg | 27 mg | 9 mg |
| 51+ years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
Which foods contain iron?
There are two forms of iron found in foods: heme and nonheme. Iron from heme food sources is better absorbed into the body than nonheme sources. Heme iron is found in animal foods that contain hemoglobin.
Heme food sources of iron include red meats, poultry and fish. Choose the leanest cuts of meats, such as tenderloin, sirloin, beef round, and reduced-fat ground meat. Plant foods contain the nonheme iron, which is not as well absorbed. Most sources of dietary iron are in the nonheme form. Good food sources of nonheme iron include fortified cereals, beans, lentils, tofu, spinach, dried fruits (apricots, prunes, raisins), prune juice, enriched breads, broccoli and nuts.
| Food | Amount | Iron |
|---|---|---|
| Total™ Raisin Bran Cereal | 3/4 cup | 18 |
| Cream of Wheat®, instant, cooked | 3/4 cup | 9 |
| Clams, canned, drained (heme) | 1/4 cup | 8 |
| Grits, instant | 1/2 cup | 7 |
| Liver, beef, cooked (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 7 |
| Tofu, raw | 1/2 cup | 7 |
| Lentils, boiled | 1/2 cup | 7 |
| Oysters, raw (heme) | 6 | 5 |
| Navy beans, cooked | 1 cup | 5 |
| Molasses, blackstrap | 1 Tbsp | 4 |
| Spinach, cooked | 1/2 cup | 3 |
| Beef, sirloin (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 4 |
| Shrimp (heme) | 3 oz | 3 |
| Green peas, frozen, boiled | 1 cup | 3 |
| Vegetable or soy burger | 1 patty | 3 |
| Soy milk | 1 cup | 3 |
| Beef, ground, cooked (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 2 |
| Turkey, dark meat (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 2 |
| Turkey, light meat (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 2 |
| Pistachio nuts | 1 oz (47 nuts) | 2 |
| Pork, tenderloin (heme) | 3 1/2 oz | 2 |
| Prune juice | 1/2 cup | 2 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1 cup | 1 |
| Tuna, light meat, canned (heme) | 3 oz | 1 |
| Bread, white, enriched | 1.6 oz | 1 |
| Potato, baked | 1 medium (3 1/2 oz) | 1 |
| Sesame seeds | 2 Tbsp | 1 |
| Haddock, cooked (heme) | 3 oz | 1 |
| Raisins | 1/4 cup | 1 |
| Dried apricots | 5 halves | 1 |
| Chicken, breast (heme) | 3 oz | 1 |
Should I take an iron supplement?
Your doctor or registered dietitian may recommend an iron supplement. A commonly reported side effect when taking iron supplements is constipation. Increasing fiber in the diet (whole grain breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables), increasing your fluid intake, and moderately increasing exercise will all help to relieve constipation. Do not take iron and calcium supplements together.
What is the role of Vitamin C?
To increase absorption of iron in foods of plant origin, include vitamin C-rich foods such as:
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
- Tomatoes and peppers
- Baked potatoes
- Melon, berries and kiwi
If you take medication and eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, check with your pharmacist about possible food-drug interactions.
Sample high-iron diet
Food item (Iron content in mg)
Breakfast
- 3/4 cup iron-fortified cream of wheat (9.0 mg)
- 4 oz orange juice (1.0 mg)
- 8 oz skim milk (0.1 mg)
Lunch
- 1 cup bean soup (2.0 mg)
- 1/2 chicken breast (1.0 mg)
- 2 slices enriched bread (3.0 mg)
- 1/4 tomato, sliced (--)
- 2 large leaves of lettuce (--)
- 1 tsp mustard (--)
- 1 cup fresh strawberries (0.6 mg)
- 8 oz skim milk (0.1 mg)
Dinner
- 5 oz lean roast beef (2.9 mg)
- 1 medium baked potato (1.0 mg)
- 1 tsp margarine (--)
- 1 cup tossed spinach salad (2.0 mg)
- 1 oz walnuts (1.0 mg)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (--)
- 1/4 cup raisins (1.0 mg)
- 5 dried apricot halves (1.0 mg)
Total iron content of menu (25.6 mg)
The iron content of margarine and balsamic vinaigrette is unknown.
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