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The human body needs iron for a lot of reasons. Most of the iron in our body is found in our blood. It is part of the red pigment in blood and helps the blood to carry oxygen, which is then delivered to all of the cells in our body. As a result, severe cases of iron deficiency lead to tiredness and exhaustion, among other symptoms. Many foods have small amounts of iron in them, so people who eat a balanced diet can normally get enough iron that way.
How much iron do we need?
The recommended daily iron intake for women is 15 milligrams (mg) before menopause, and 10 mg after menopause. The recommended daily iron intake for men is 10 mg. The reason why women need more iron before menopause is because they lose iron during their monthly period.
Pregnant women are advised to get at least 30 mg of iron per day so their growing baby has enough, too. In the first few weeks after the baby is born, women need about 20 mg of iron per day to refill the iron stores that were partly depleted during pregnancy and childbirth.
The recommended daily iron intake for children up to the age of ten is about 8 to 10 mg per day. The recommended amounts for teenagers are similar to those for adults.
Which foods have a lot of iron in them?
Meat is a good source of iron. It has the animal's red pigment (hemoglobin) in it. The iron found in hemoglobin is easily absorbed by our bodies. Iron in plant-based foods is generally more difficult to absorb and use. So it may be difficult for vegetarians and vegans to get the recommended increased amount of iron during pregnancy only though the foods that they eat.
The amount of iron you get also depends on what you eat and drink overall. This is because different combinations of foods have a different effect on how much iron is absorbed through the bowel.
For instance, certain substances bind to iron in the bowel, making it harder for the body to absorb iron from plant-based foods. These substances include things like tannins (e.g. in red wine or black and green tea), oxalic acid (e.g. in spinach, beetroot, rhubarb and cocoa), phytate (e.g. in cereals) and phosphate (e.g. in processed cheese slices and spreads). Wheat bran, dairy products, soy products and coffee also contain substances that reduce iron uptake.
What increases iron uptake?
People who eat a lot of plant-based foods, or only eat plant-based foods, can increase their iron uptake by combining different plant-based foods in specific ways. For instance, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) increases iron absorption. Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, orange juice, broccoli and red peppers. Meat, fish and poultry increase the amount of iron absorbed from plant-based foods too.
Our bodies also adapt depending on how much iron we currently need: If our iron stores are empty, our bodies can get a lot more iron out of the food we eat.
Iron-rich foods
The following table provides a rough idea of how much iron different foods have in them. The foods listed in the table are mainly foods that have particularly high amounts of iron in them.
Meat, cold cuts, eggs
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Pork liver, cooked | 125 g | 24.4 |
| Veal liver, cooked | 125 g | 11.3 |
| Beef liver, cooked | 125 g | 9.7 |
| Duck, cooked | 150 g | 5.6 |
| Venison, cooked | 150 g | 5.1 |
| Beef, cooked | 150 g | 4.9 |
| Pork, cooked | 150 g | 3.9 |
| Mutton, cooked | 150 g | 3.3 |
| Veal, cooked | 150 g | 3.1 |
| Traditional blood sausage/black pudding | 30 g | 2.3 |
| Liver pâté, fine | 30 g | 2.2 |
| Poultry, cooked | 150 g | 1.4 |
| Cooked ham (pork) | 30 g | 0.7 |
| Salami | 30 g | 0.5 |
| Chicken egg | 60 g | 1 |
Fish and seafood
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Mussels, cooked | 100 g | 3.8 |
| Shrimps | 100 g | 1.8 |
| Tuna, cooked | 130 g | 1.3 |
| Herring fillet, Matjes style | 90 g | 1.1 |
| Smoked eel | 75 g | 0.5 |
| Salmon | 150 g | 0.4 |
Bread, cereals
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Spelt bread | 1 slice (50 g) | 2.1 |
| Soy bread | 1 slice (45 g) | 2 |
| Whole grain buckwheat bread | 1 slice (60 g) | 1.7 |
| Whole grain oat bread | 1 slice (50 g) | 1.4 |
| Whole grain bread with sesame seeds | 1 slice (50 g) | 1.3 |
| Whole grain bread | 1 slice (50 g) | 1 |
| Rye bread | 1 slice (45 g) | 0.6 |
| Oats | 60 g | 2.7 |
| Muesli | 50 g | 1.7 |
| Cereal flakes | 2 to 3 tbsp. (20 g) | 0.8 |
Lettuce, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Chanterelle mushrooms, steamed | 200 g | 11.6 |
| Black salsify, steamed | 250 g | 5.5 |
| Spinach, steamed | 150 g | 4.6 |
| Swiss chard, steamed | 150 g | 3.6 |
| Canned chickpeas | 150 g | 3.3 |
| White beans (dry), cooked | 150 g | 3.3 |
| Green peas, steamed | 250 g | 2.5 |
| Lamb's lettuce | 100 g | 2 |
| Green cabbage, as traditionally prepared at home | 200 g | 1.9 |
| Brussel sprouts, steamed | 250 g | 1.7 |
| Leeks, steamed | 250 g | 1.3 |
| Asparagus, steamed | 200 g | 1.3 |
| Beetroot, cooked | 150 g | 1.2 |
| Thyme, fresh | 5 g | 1 |
| Parsley | 15 g | 0.5 |
| Garden cress | 15 g | 0.4 |
Nuts, fruit
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Pistachios | 60 g | 4.4 |
| Cashews | 60 g | 3.8 |
| Sesame seeds | 20 g | 2 |
| Strawberries | 250 g | 1.6 |
| Blackcurrants | 125 g | 1.6 |
| Raspberries | 125 g | 1.3 |
| Dried apricots | 25 g | 1.1 |
| Kiwis | 125 g | 1 |
| Dried figs | 25 g | 0.8 |
| Nutritional yeast | 5 g | 0.8 |
| Rhubarb, cooked | 150 g | 0.6 |
| Nectarines | 125 g | 0.6 |
Side dishes
| Food product | Typical portion size | Iron in mg/portion |
|---|---|---|
| Tofu | 100 g | 2.8 |
| Whole grain rice, boiled | 180 g | 2.2 |
| Millet, cooked | 80 g | 2.1 |
| Whole grain pasta with soy protein, cooked | 125 g | 2 |
| Parboiled rice, boiled | 180 g | 1.9 |
| Whole grain pasta, boiled | 125 g | 1.6 |
| Pasta (with eggs), boiled | 125 g | 1 |
| Pasta (without eggs), boiled | 200 g | 0.9 |
| White rice (milled), boiled | 180 g | 0.5 |
Sources
- Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR). Fragen und Antworten zu Eisen in Lebensmitteln. 2008.
- Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL). Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel. 2022.
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE), Österreichische Gesellschaft für Ernährung (ÖGE), Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährungsforschung (SGE) et al. Referenzwerte für die Nährstoffzufuhr. Bonn: DGE; 2017.
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Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.
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- In brief: How can you get enough iron? - InformedHealth.orgIn brief: How can you get enough iron? - InformedHealth.org
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