Iron
What is iron and why is it important?
Iron is a mineral that:
What is anemia?
Anemia is a condition that occurs when you don't have enough healthy red blood cells. People with anemia look pale and often feel weak and tired because their tissues and organs aren’t getting all of the oxygen they need.
The most common cause of anemia is not getting enough iron from the diet. Your health care provider may recommend a multivitamin with iron if it seems like you are not getting enough iron from foods. If you are already anemic, your health care provider will probably suggest an iron supplement.
How much iron do I need?
Iron is measured in milligrams. The amount you need depends on your age, gender, body size, and lifestyle. In general, though, you can use these guidelines to determine how much iron you need.
What foods are rich in iron?
Good sources of iron include red meat, eggs, poultry, fish, legumes (or beans), and fortified cereals. It is important to know that your body absorbs iron from animal sources (known as "heme" iron) more easily than it absorbs iron from plant sources (known as "non-heme" iron). The following tables list foods that are good sources of iron.
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Beans and Peas | ||
| Baked beans, without pork | ½ cup | 1.5 |
| Chick peas | ½ cup | 2.4 |
| Lentils | ½ cup | 3.3 |
| Red beans | ½ cup | 2.6 |
| White beans | ½ cup | 2.5 |
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Cereals | ||
| Cheerios® | 1 cup | 10.3 |
| Cinnamon Life® | ¾ cup | 7.4 |
| Frosted Miniwheats® | 1 cup | 15.4 |
| Rice Krispies® | 1¼ cup | 11.4 |
| Whole Grain Total® | ¾ cup | 22.4 |
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Dried Fruit | ||
| Peaches | ¼ cup | 1.6 |
| Apricots | 4 large halves | 0.4 |
| Raisins | ¼ cup | .07 |
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Meat, Poultry and Fish | ||
| Beef liver, cooked* | 3 ounces | 5.8 |
| Egg, large | 1 | 0.6 |
| Pork, cooked* | 3 ounces | 0.9 |
| Salmon, canned* | 3 ounces | 0.7 |
| Sirloin, cooked* | 3 ounces | 2.9 |
| Turkey, light meat, roasted* | 3 ounces | 1.6 |
| Veal, cooked* | 3 ounces | 0.9 |
| Food | Serving Size | Iron (mg) |
| Other | ||
| Almonds, whole, unblanched | ½ cup | 3.1 |
| Prune juice | ½ cup | 1.5 |
| Spinach, boiled | ½ cup | 3.2 |
| *Source of heme iron | ||
Can I get enough iron in my diet if I am a vegetarian or don’t eat much meat?
Since non-heme iron isn’t absorbed as well as heme iron, it may be more difficult for vegetarians or people who don’t eat much meat to get enough iron from foods. Foods high in vitamin C help your body absorb non-heme iron. Try eating iron-rich foods along with foods that are high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and juices, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, and dark green vegetables. For example, top your cereals with strawberries, add tomato slices to a turkey sandwich, or have an orange with a peanut butter sandwich.
Another way to boost your iron intake is to choose breads, cereals, and pastas that say "enriched" or "iron-fortified" on the label. If you don’t think you are getting enough iron from foods, talk with your doctor about taking a multivitamin with iron.
Updated: 11/6/2009
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