Dietary Reference
Intakes (DRIs) for Iron [1]:
|
Pregnancy |
27 mg /day |
|
Lactation
|
|
|
14-18 years: |
10 mg
|
|
19-50 years:
|
9 mg |
|
Dietary sources of iron include meats,
fish, poultry, and plant sources. The iron found in meats, fish, and
poultry is contained in a molecule called heme which is easily absorbed
by the body. The iron in plant sources is nonheme iron and is not as easily
absorbed . Absorption of nonheme
iron is increased with acid digestion, and decreased by substances found in tea, coffee, and wines.
|
Foods with Heme Iron |
|
Food |
Serving |
Iron (mg)
|
| Clams, canned,
drained solids |
85 g (3 oz) |
23.8 |
|
Turkey, giblets, cooked, |
145 g (1 cup) |
11.18 |
|
Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked,
simmered |
145 g (1 cup) |
10.21 |
| Duck, domesticated,
meat only, cooked, roasted |
221 g (1/2 duck) |
5.97 |
| Beef,
chuck, blade roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, |
85 g (3 oz ) |
2.62 |
|
Turkey, all classes, meat only, cooked, roasted |
140 g (1 cup) |
2.49 |
|
Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil,
drained solids with bone |
85 g (3 oz ) |
2.48 |
|
Lamb, domestic, shoulder, arm, separable lean only,
trimmed to 1/4" |
85 g (3 oz ) |
2.30 |
|
Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat,
patty, cooked, broiled |
85 g (3 oz ) |
2.21 |
|
Shrimp, canned |
85 g (3 oz ) |
1.81 |
|
Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat
and skin, cooked, fried, batter |
140 g (1/2 breast ) |
1.75 |
|
Lamb, domestic, leg, whole (shank
and sirloin), roasted |
85 g (3 oz ) |
1.68 |
|
Pork, fresh, shoulder, arm picnic,
separable lean only, cooked, braised |
85 g (3 oz) |
1.66 |
|
Beef, top sirloin, all grades, broiled |
85 (3 oz ) |
1.59 |
| Tuna, light, canned in
water, drained solids |
85 (3 oz) |
1.30 |
Try to avoid eating foods that block absorption of of iron from plant foods such as tea, coffee, and wines.
The absorption of iron from plant foods is improved by the presence in a meal of foods
high in vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Good sources of vitamin C include guava, red and green bell peppers, kiwi fruit, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries,
Brussels sprouts ,cantaloupe, kohlrabi, broccoli, sweet potato,
and tomatoes .
|
|
Foods with Non-Heme Iron |
| Food |
Serving |
Iron (mg)
|
Fortified cereals
ready-to-eat
Kellogg''s Product 19
General Mills Total |
30 g (1
cup) |
18.00 |
| Rice, white,
long-grain, parboiled, enriched, dry |
185 g (1
cup ) |
9.73 |
| Soybeans,
mature cooked, boiled, without salt |
172 g (1 cup) |
8.84 |
| Lentils,
mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt |
198 g (1 cup ) |
6.59 |
| Spinach, cooked |
180 g (1 cup ) |
6.43 |
| Lima
beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt |
188 g (1 cup) |
4.49 |
| Refried beans,
canned, traditional style |
252 g (1 cup) |
4.21 |
| Bulgar, dry |
140 g (1 cup) |
3.44 |
| Tomatoes, red,
canned, stewed |
255 g (1 cup) |
3.39 |
|
Cherries, sour, red, canned,
water pack, solids and liquids
|
244 g (1
cup) |
3.34 |
| Chickpeas
(garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, canned |
240 g (1 cup) |
3.24 |
| Prune
juice, canned |
256 g (1 cup) |
3.02 |
| Raisins,
seedless |
145 g (1 cup) |
2.73 |
| Mushrooms,
cooked, boiled, drained, without salt |
156 g (1 cup) |
2.71 |
| Sweet potato, canned |
255 g (1 cup) |
2.27 |
PRINTABLE TABLE
Online Resources
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp
REFERENCES:
1.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic,
Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon,
Vanadium, and Zinc p 772. A Report of the Panel on Micronutrients, Subcommittees on Upper
Reference Levels of Nutrients and of Interpretation and Uses of Dietary
Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of
Dietary Reference Intakes Food and Nutrition Board Institute of Medicine
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C.http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Vitamin_A/vitamin_a_full_report.pdf
Accessed 11/8/2008
2.USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, Iron, Fe.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR21/nutrlist/sr21w303.pdf
Accessed 11/8/2008.
3.Teucher B. et al. Enhancers of iron absorption: ascorbic acid and other organic acids.
Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74(6):403-19. PMID: 15743017
4. Zijp IM et al. Effect of tea and other dietary factors on iron
absorption.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2000;40(5):371-98.
PMID: 11029010
5. Hallberg L. Wheat fiber, phytates and iron absorption.
Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl. 1987;129:73-9.PMID: 2820048
6. Lynch SR . et al., Inhibitory effect of a soybean-protein--related moiety on iron
absorption in humans.Am J Clin Nutr. 1994;60(4):567-72.
PMID: 8092092
7. Mork Ta et al, Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee.Am J Clin Nutr. 1983;37(3):416-20.
PMID: 6402915
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