nutrient

Iron

An essential mineral used in haemoglobin, myoglobin and many enzymes.

Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status

Food iron is haem or non-haem. Absorption responds to iron status, meal composition and the chemical form, so iron in a food is not the same as iron absorbed.

Food sources

Per 100 g

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Pumpkin seeds	8.36 mg	52.25–76%
Lentils	7.16 mg	44.75–65.09%
Chia seeds, dry	6.04 mg	37.75–54.91%
Ground flaxseed	5.78 mg	36.13–52.55%
Rolled oats	4.34 mg	27.13–39.45%

Show 42 more foods

Food amounts and reference percentages, both per 100 g
Food	Per 100 g	Daily reference
Almonds	3.74 mg	23.38–34%
Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018)	3.33 mg	20.81–30.27%
Almonds, dry-roasted and salted	3.17 mg	19.81–28.82%
Roasted beef tenderloin	3.04 mg	19–27.64%
Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018)	2.92 mg	18.25–26.55%
Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	2.71 mg	16.94–24.64%
Anchovies, canned in olive oil, drained	2.69 mg	16.81–24.45%
Hummus, commercial	2.41 mg	15.06–21.91%
English walnuts, raw	2.24 mg	14–20.36%
Ground beef, 90% lean and 10% fat	2.13 mg	13.31–19.36%
Whole egg, raw, frozen and pasteurized	1.77 mg	11.06–16.09%
Light tuna, canned in water, drained	1.67 mg	10.44–15.18%
Beef ribeye, raw	1.64 mg	10.25–14.91%
Peanuts, raw	1.55 mg	9.69–14.09%
Spinach	1.26 mg	7.88–11.45%
Brown rice, long-grain, raw	1.24 mg	7.75–11.27%
Chickpeas, canned and rinsed	1.04 mg	6.5–9.45%
Braised chicken drumstick	0.94 mg	5.88–8.55%
Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.7 mg	4.38–6.36%
Hass avocado, raw	0.61 mg	3.83–5.57%
Canned diced tomatoes	0.57 mg	3.56–5.18%
Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable	0.54 mg	3.39–4.93%
Braised chicken breast	0.49 mg	3.06–4.45%
Carrots, frozen and unprepared	0.43 mg	2.69–3.91%
Salmon	0.4 mg	2.51–3.65%
Orange sweet potato, peeled and raw	0.4 mg	2.49–3.62%
Russet potato, raw	0.38 mg	2.4–3.49%
Orange bell pepper, raw	0.37 mg	2.28–3.32%
Chicken breast, raw	0.35 mg	2.21–3.22%
Blueberries, raw	0.34 mg	2.13–3.09%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018)	0.34 mg	2.13–3.09%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018)	0.34 mg	2.13–3.09%
Grape tomatoes, raw	0.33 mg	2.06–3%
Navel orange, raw	0.33 mg	2.06–3%
Oat milk, unsweetened and refrigerated	0.26 mg	1.63–2.37%
Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw	0.26 mg	1.62–2.35%
Strawberries, raw	0.26 mg	1.59–2.32%
Mature carrots, raw	0.15 mg	0.94–1.36%
White rice, long-grain, raw	0.14 mg	0.88–1.27%
Cottage cheese, 2% fat	0.13 mg	0.81–1.18%
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat	0.07 mg	0.44–0.64%
Pie pumpkin, raw	0.06 mg	0.39–0.57%

Compared with EFSA’s adult reference of 11–16 mg/day. The percentage range reflects different adult reference groups.

About these amounts

These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.

Healthy European adults; men and postmenopausal women / premenopausal women. Population reference intake: 11–16 mg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.

Portions recorded by the source

Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 4.28 mg, 26.75–38.9% of the daily reference.
Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 14.04 mg, 87.78–127.68% of the daily reference.
Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.82 mg, 5.11–7.43% of the daily reference.
Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 2.37 mg, 14.82–21.56% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 0.98 mg, 6.11–8.89% of the daily reference.
Canned diced tomatoes: 1 cup (245 g) — 1.4 mg, 8.73–12.7% of the daily reference.
Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 0.85 mg, 5.33–7.75% of the daily reference.
Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 0.29 mg, 1.79–2.6% of the daily reference.
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 0.11 mg, 0.68–0.99% of the daily reference.

The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.

How it works

What it does

Iron is part of haemoglobin and myoglobin and supports oxygen transport and storage. It also sits in enzymes involved in electron transfer and energy metabolism.

Where it comes from

Meat and seafood provide haem iron; legumes and fortified foods provide non-haem iron. Menstrual status changes iron loss and is part of the reference context.

Roles and processes

Red blood cells
Iron is part of haemoglobin in Red blood cells
The body uses iron to make haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-04 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

Worth knowing

Vitamin C and phytate are meal relationships. Vitamin C can improve non-haem iron absorption, while phytate can reduce it within a meal. Neither edge alone predicts long-term iron status.
Haem and non-haem iron behave differently. Haem iron is part of haemoglobin and myoglobin. Non-haem iron occurs in plant foods and fortified products and is more affected by the rest of the meal.

A closer look

Supplement and deficiency safety

Iron supplements can be harmful at excess intakes and can interact with medicines. Deficiency, pregnancy and anaemia questions require current clinical guidance.

Hepcidin links absorption and recycling

Hepcidin regulates iron export from intestinal cells and storage cells, linking absorption and red-cell iron recycling with the body’s current iron needs. A meal amount therefore does not equal the amount ultimately incorporated into haemoglobin.

References

Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.

Take it into the kitchen

Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.

Coconut lentil spinach soup · 20 min →

White bean spinach pot · 15 min →

Spinach mozzarella bean pan · 20 min →

Compare meals by iron →