John Myers
Iron is vital for our bodies. Here you can find out how we eat a diet rich in iron and which foods contain iron.
Things to know about iron
Iron is vital for us because it is mainly responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. The trace element binds the oxygen taken in via the lungs to the red blood cells. As a result, our organism is supplied with oxygen. The trace element supports our organism in cell formation, strengthening our immune system, and fighting off infections, among other things. Therefore, you should pay attention to iron-rich foods.
Iron requirement and iron deficiency
Iron is multitalented and indispensable for our body. Unfortunately, our body cannot produce it itself. We put it in our bodies with food. However, our organism can only absorb between 5% and 15% of the iron supplied. It is therefore important to ensure that the foods you eat are rich in iron when it comes to diet. However, the iron requirement is not the same for everyone. The recommendation is to supply the body with the following amounts per day, depending on age and gender:
- Infants and children up to 10 years = between 0.5 mg and 10 mg
- Boys from 10 years to 19 years = 12 mg
- Men = 10 mg
- Girls from 10 years and women = 15 mg
- Pregnant women = 30 mg
- Postpartum women = 20 mg
- Men and women over 50 years = 10 mg
Note: Vegetarians, vegans, athletes, blood donors, and other people who have lost blood (surgery, heavy menstruation) have an increased need for iron.
Iron deficiency threatens if our diet is not balanced and rich in iron. The main symptom of this is constant fatigue. We feel powerless and exhausted. Other symptoms include sleep disorders, headaches, difficulty concentrating, circulatory problems, and increased susceptibility to infections. In severe cases, iron deficiency leads to anemia. Then the body is no longer sufficiently supplied with oxygen. In the case of prolonged anemia, there is a risk of cardiac insufficiency, prolonged anemia can lead to death. A blood test by the doctor can provide information about anemia.
Risk groups for iron deficiency include:
- growing children and adolescents
- chronically ill with inflammation
- Patients after surgery due to blood loss
- Blood donors due to blood loss
- old people with diseases
Iron-rich diet
With a balanced diet, you cover your body’s iron requirements. You can achieve optimal iron absorption by combining animal and vegetable iron. Our body utilizes the iron contained in meat three times better than that from plant-based foods. Many foods that are high in iron promote iron absorption. Food and drinks rich in vitamin C, such as fruit, vegetables, and fruit juices, also promote absorption and utilization. But some foods influence each other so that iron absorption is inhibited. Foods unsuitable for iron absorption contain a lot of calcium, phosphate, phytate, oxalic acid, or polyphenols.
Unsuitable foods are:
- foods rich in calcium: milk, dairy products, egg products
- phosphate-rich foods: soy, cola, lemonade, processed cheese
- foods containing phytates: grain products, corn, soy products, rice, legumes, whole grain products
- Foods containing oxalic acid: spinach, chard, rhubarb, cocoa, dark chocolate
- Foods rich in polyphenols/tannins: black tea, green tea, coffee, red wine, grape juice, spinach, and millet.
The following list gives you an overview of the foods that are particularly rich in iron.
Beverages
- Ferrous Juices – Juices that promote iron absorption
- carrot – apple
- Black currant – strawberry
- Red currant – buckthorn
- Blackberry – Orange
Meat and sausage
Iron content per 100 g
- Duck liver 30 mg
- Pork liver 18 mg
- Calf liver 7.9 mg
- liver sausage 5.3 mg
- Black pudding 30 mg
- Pork kidneys 10 mg
- Beef Ham 10 mg
- Deer 4.5 mg
- Roe deer 3 mg
- Duck 2.7 mg
- Beef 2.6 mg
- lamb 1.9 mg
- Poultry 1.6 mg
Fish And Seafood
Iron content per 100 g
- Oysters 7 mg
- Mussels 6.7 mg
- deep sea shrimp 5 mg
- Oil sardines 2.5 mg
- Herring 1.1 mg
- Place 0.9 mg
- Cod 0.5 mg
- Saithe 0.7 mg
Vegetables, legumes, spices
Iron content per 100 g
- Cardamom 100 mg
- dried parsley 97.8 mg
- dried mint 87.5
- Licorice 41.1 mg
- Cinnamon 38.1 mg
- Soybeans 9 mg
- Rosemary 8.5 mg
- Kidney Beans 8.2 mg
- Basil 7.3 mg
- white beans 7 mg
- Chanterelles 6.5 mg
- Chickpeas 6.2 mg
- Dill 5.5 mg
- Thyme 5 mg
- Spinach 3.4 mg
- Leek 2.1 mg
- Asparagus 2.1 mg
- lamb’s lettuce 2 mg
- Peas 1.5 mg
- Arugula 1.5 mg
- Beetroot 0.8 mg
- Potatoes 0.3 mg
- carrots 0.3 mg
Fruits
Iron content per 100 g
- Raisins 1.9 mg
- Black currants 1.3 mg
- Red currants 1.2 mg
- Raspberries 1 mg
- dates 1 mg
- Gooseberries 0.6 mg
- Lemons 0.6 mg
- Blueberries 0.5 mg
- Blackberries 0.6 mg
- Avocado 0.6 mg
- Strawberries 0.4 mg
- Persimmon 0.4 mg
- Cherries 0.3 mg
- Kiwi 0.3 mg
- Peaches 0.3 mg
- Bananas 0.3 mg
- Rhubarb 0.2 mg
- Oranges 0.2 mg
- apples 0.1 mg
Note: Dried fruits contain more iron than fresh ones.
Cereals, cereal products, rice, pasta
Iron content per 100 g
- Wheat Bran 16 mg
- Sesame 10 mg
- millet flakes 9 mg
- Amaranth 9 mg
- Flaxseed 8.2 mg
- Quinoa 8 mg
- Wheat germ 7.5 mg
- millet 6 mg
- spelled 4.4 mg
- Oatmeal 4.3 mg
- green spelled grain 4 mg
- Whole wheat pasta 3.8 mg
- barley 3.6 mg
- white bread 3.6 mg
- Buckwheat 3.5 mg
- Brown rice 3.2 mg
- Rice parboiled 2.9 mg
- Rye bread 2.8 mg
- Rye flour 2.5 mg
- Wholemeal wheat bread 2 mg
- Wheat flour 1.2 mg
- Wheat semolina 1.1 mg
Nuts and Kernels
Iron content per 100 g
- Pumpkin seeds 12.1 mg
- Pistachios 7 mg
- Cashew nuts 6.7 mg
- Pine nuts 5.5 mg
- Sunflower seeds 5.3 mg
- Hazelnuts 4.7 mg
- Almonds 4.2 mg
- Desiccated coconut 3.5 mg
- walnuts 2.9 mg
- Peanuts 2.4 mg
- Brazil nuts 2.4 mg
- chestnuts 1.7 mg
Milk, dairy products, eggs
Iron content per 100 g
- Egg yolk 7.2 mg
- egg 1.2 mg
- Soy milk 0.6 mg
- whole milk 0.5 mg
- Low-fat quark 0.4 mg
- Butter 0.3 mg
- Sliced cheese 0.3 mg
- Soft cheese 0.2 mg
- Yoghurt 0.1 mg
