Introduction
Iron is an important trace element in the human body. It plays a major role in blood formation and metabolic processes. Accordingly, deficiency symptoms can lead to a variety of serious symptoms. In the case of a slight iron deficiency, a change in diet and an increased intake of iron through food is often enough to replenish the iron stores. There are both animal and a number of vegetable foods that contain iron.
Overview of foods with high iron content
The following is an overview of foods that contain particularly high levels of iron. The iron content is indicated per 100g of the foodstuff.
- Blood sausage 30.0 mg
- Pork liver 18.0 mg
- Dried chanterelles 17.0 mg
- Pumpkin seeds 12,5 mg
- Millet 9.0 mg
- Linseed 8.0 mg
- Lenses 8.0 mg
- Quinoa 8.0 mg
- Calf’s liver 7,8 mg
- Soybeans 6.6 mg
- Oysters 6,25 mg
- Chickpeas 6,2 mg
- Oat flakes 5.5 mg
- Spinach 4.1 mg
In nature, iron is found in two different forms: bivalent and trivalent iron.
Bivalent iron is 3 times better absorbed by the intestines than trivalent iron. Bivalent iron is found exclusively in animal foods, such as beef fillet (2.3 mg/100g), pork fillet (3.0 mg/100g), and in particularly large quantities in blood sausage (30 mg/100g), pork liver (18.0 mg/100g) or beef ham (10.0/100g). However, red meat in particular also contains cholesterol, which is bad for the cardiovascular system, purines, which promote gout, and other harmful substances (especially liver).
Therefore meat should be eaten in moderation. Also for vegetarians and Veganer there are good iron suppliers. Cereal products such as wheat (8.0 mg/100g), millet flakes (9.0 mg/100g) or especially quinoa (8.0 mg/100g) and amaranth (9.0 mg/100g) are a good alternative to animal products and offer a rich breakfast variety.
Iron from plant products has a poorer bioavailability and is therefore less easily absorbed and utilized by the body. In order to improve this, it is recommended to take these products with vitamin C, for example in the form of orange or lemon juice. This topic might also be of interest to you:
- Iron deficiency in vegetarians
Pumpkin seeds are very high on the list of the most ferrous foods.
With 12.5 mg per 100 g they are among the top 10. Furthermore, pistachios contain 7.0 mg, sunflower seeds 6.0 mg and pine nuts 5.0 mg iron per 100g. A varied alternative or supplement to a rich breakfast cereal are dried fruits.
Dried peaches (6.5 mg/100g), apricots (4.4 mg/100g) or figs (3.2 mg/100g) also contain a large amount of iron. Fresh fruit such as mango or blueberries also contain a lot of iron. Among vegetables, too, there are numerous sources of iron, including chanterelles (8.0 mg/100g), spinach (4.0 mg/100g), cabbage (up to 2.0 mg/100g) or somewhat more unusual Jerusalem artichokes (3.7 mg/100g) and black salsify (3.3 mg/100g).
Potatoes, on the other hand, contain less iron. At 0.3 mg/100g, a woman would need to consume about 5 kg of potatoes to cover her daily requirement of 150 mg of iron. A very ferrous alternative is legumes.
Soybeans (9.7 mg/100g), lentils (8.0 mg/100g) or white beans (7.0 mg/100g) can easily compete with animal products. Another positive aspect is that iron – in contrast to vitamins – does not disintegrate during cooking, which means that even hot dishes can be prepared. Other animal products with a high iron bioavailability are eggs.
The consumption of 2 eggs (=100g) provides 1.8 mg iron. Dairy products such as Parmesan (0.7 mg/100g), processed cheese (0.9 mg/100g) or semi-hard cheese (0.3 mg/100g) contain relatively little iron. Dairy products also contain calcium, which hinders the absorption of iron in the intestine. Milk, cheese and yoghurt should therefore be avoided or reduced 1 hour before, during and after meals with iron-rich foods.
