---
description: >-
  Iron is an essential trace nutrient and a mineral. It is only needed in tiny
  amounts. It is the same as elemental, metallic iron.
---

# Iron

## Sources

Vegan sources of iron include:\
Lentils, hemp hearts, chickpeas, quinoa, soybeans, cooked spinach, tahini, dried figs, molasses, Swiss chard, cashews, chia seeds, and split peas.

Generally speaking, whole grains, beans, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds are groups of foods that are good sources of iron.\
\
Lentils have 56% _more_ iron than _beef_ by weight:

* 100g ground 10% fat beef: 12% RDA for women/2.13 mg
* 100g cooked lentils: 19% RDA for women/3.33 mg
* 3.33/2.13 = 1.56

[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2514743/nutrients](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2514743/nutrients)\
[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172421/nutrients](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172421/nutrients)

Cooking in a cast iron pan or using an "iron fish" can bolster your iron intake. Small amounts of iron metal come off and mix in with your food as you cook it.\
[https://www.bbc.com/news/health-32749629](https://www.bbc.com/news/health-32749629)

<figure><img src="https://1639489886-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FIZzDaoQXCLpuTZTIfctf%2Fuploads%2FtLesEystvaQqOOXUjGdS%2Flucky%20iron%20fish.png?alt=media&#x26;token=46b24f99-d97c-4a4a-9479-20249b46b5dd" alt="A hand holding a lucky iron fish" width="305"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Absorption

📉The following chemicals _hinder_ iron absorption:

* Casein (dairy)
* Phosvitin (eggs)
* Calcium
* Polyphenols (coffee, tea, wine, chocolate, walnuts, apples, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries)
* Oxalates (spinach, kale, beets, nuts, chocolate, tea, wheat bran, rhubarb, strawberries, oregano, basil, parsley)
* Phytates (fibre, soy, walnuts, almonds, sesame, dried beans, lentils, peas, cereals, whole grains)

📈Whereas the following chemicals _promote_ iron absorption:

* Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, citric acid)
* Beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A)
* Alcohol (though it is not recommended to consume alcohol)
* Sugar from fruits and molasses (though it is not recommended to consume sugar to bolster iron)

Therefore, if you're concerned about your iron absorption, you could plan out your meals to have whole food sources of iron, vitamin C, and beta-carotene in one meal and your calcium and fibre in another. It is recommended by the Iron Disorders Institute to keep these meals 2 hours apart for best results. However, **it is unnecessary to do this for healthy individuals**. All that healthy individuals need do is ensure they eat foods that are sources of iron in a balanced diet.\
\
For some, seeing that there are many chemicals that can hinder iron absorption can cause worry. But keep in mind that sources of these bolstering/hindering chemicals vary in concentration and effect - some foods hinder less than others. Most importantly, **iron absorption inhibitors can be overcome by promoters**.\
\
"In one study, the addition of just one-half cup of cauliflower to a vegetarian meal boosted iron absorption by two-and-a-half times"\
[https://freefromharm.org/vegan-diets-sorting-nutritional-myths/](https://freefromharm.org/vegan-diets-sorting-nutritional-myths/)\
Iron inhibitors are overcome by promoters like vitamin C (ascorbic acid).\
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1989423/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1989423/)\
"beta-carotene significantly increased absorption of the metal \[iron]. Moreover, in the presence of phytates or tannic acid, beta-carotene generally overcame the inhibitory effects of both compounds depending on their concentrations"\
[https://irondisorders.org/diet/](https://irondisorders.org/diet/)\
\
"Eggs contain a compound that impairs absorption of iron. Phosphoprotein called phosvitin is a protein with a iron binding capacity that may be responsible for the low bioavailability of iron from eggs. This iron inhibiting characteristic of eggs is called the “egg factor”. The egg factor has been observed in several separate studies. One boiled egg can reduce absorption of iron in a meal by as much as 28%"\
[https://irondisorders.org/diet/](https://irondisorders.org/diet/)\
"Phosvitin \[...] is known primarily for its metal bonds binding (iron, calcium, etc.) feature"\
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32966601/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32966601/)\
\
"iron overload increased significantly in people who drank more than two alcoholic drinks per day"\
[https://www.livestrong.com/article/554305-how-does-drinking-beer-affect-an-overload-of-iron/](https://www.livestrong.com/article/554305-how-does-drinking-beer-affect-an-overload-of-iron/)\
"Although alcohol can enhance the absorption of iron, no one is encouraged to drink alcohol as a means of improving iron status. \[...] Those who took supplemental iron along with fruit had higher iron stores, some as much as three times \[...] eating fruits or adding \[...] black-strap molasses to foods such as cereals can boost iron absorption"\
[https://irondisorders.org/diet/](https://irondisorders.org/diet/)

**The Redemption of Spinach**\
Spinach has been the source of conflicting narratives around its iron content. In popular culture, it has been the symbol of iron, and yet more recently it's been disseminated that the oxalates within spinach make it _not a bioavailable_ source of iron. So which is it? The reality is that _raw spinach_ does indeed have oxalates that make its iron difficult for the body to absorb, however _cooking_ spinach breaks down these oxalates, making the iron more readily available. Therefore, cooked spinach _is_ a source of iron.

## What Do I Eat Then?

Given the extensive amount of foods that can hinder iron absorption, it is understandable to then wonder what on earth you're supposed to actually eat. As mentioned in the above section, the amount by which iron absorption is hindered can vary a lot as concentrations of hindering chemicals vary and amounts of iron in foods vary.\
\
The simple answer to getting enough iron is just eating meals that include sources of iron, as listed in the Sources section above.\
\
Here are some example vegan meals that are high in iron:\
[https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/collection/vegan-iron-rich-recipes/](https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/collection/vegan-iron-rich-recipes/)

## Vegan Prognostics

Vegans typically get _more_ iron than non-vegans and are _no more likely_ than non-vegans to develop anemia. This includes women.\
\
"vegans are no more likely to develop iron deficiency anemia than the general population. Vegans typically consume an adequate amount of iron because their diet is high in vitamin C, which improves absorption of nonheme iron"\
[https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-iron-vegans](https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-iron-vegans)\
\
"Women who eat plant-based diets don’t appear to have higher iron deficiency anemia rates than women eating a lot of meat"\
[https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/iron/](https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/iron/)\
\
"It is commonly thought that those who eat plant-based diets may be more prone to iron deficiency, but it turns out that they’re no more likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia than anybody else"\
[https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/06/15/plant-versus-animal-iron/](https://nutritionfacts.org/2017/06/15/plant-versus-animal-iron/)\
\
The body seems to adapt and better-absorb non-heme iron when its iron stores are low. Western vegetarians were found to have comparable iron values to meat eaters. Vegetarians generally consume _more_ iron than meat eaters.\
"Vegetarians generally consume as much iron as, or slightly more than, omnivores \[...] Diet had a greater effect on iron absorption when serum ferritin \[iron-storing proteins] levels were low. Nonheme iron absorption can be as much as 10 times greater in iron-deficient individuals compared with iron-replete individuals \[...] individuals can adapt and absorb non-heme iron more effectively \[...] Individuals are able to adapt to low intakes of iron over time and can reduce iron losses. In one study, total iron absorption significantly increased by almost 40% after 10 weeks of consuming the low-bioavailability diet \[...] The absorption process appears to adapt effectively in the case of Western vegetarians because their hemoglobin values and most other measures of iron status are similar to those values seen in nonvegetarians."\
[https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(16)31192-3/pdf](https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672\(16\)31192-3/pdf) (2016)

## Heme Iron

'Heme' comes from Ancient Greek haîma, meaning 'blood', so heme iron is literally blood iron - iron found in the blood of animals like us.\
\
However, some nitrogen-fixing plants such as legumes contain heme.\
\
"Plants, particularly nitrogen-fixing plants and legumes, also contain heme."\
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible\_Foods\
\
"Heme can be extracted from the roots of nitrogen-fixing plants such as peas and beans"\
https://www.sciencealert.com/this-new-vege-burger-bleeds-like-meat\
\
T**he vegan Impossible Burger contains heme iron** despite it containing no animal products. This is done by having genetically-modified yeast (non-sentient, fungal microbes) produce the heme.\
\
Heme iron is more readily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron, however research has found that **heme iron increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.**

> avoidance of heme iron may be one of the key elements of plant-based protection against metabolic syndrome, and may also be beneficial in lowering the risk from other chronic diseases such as heart disease.\
> \[...]\
> iron intake from meat is associated with significantly _higher_ risk for heart disease. \[...] The risk has been quantified as a 27% increase in coronary heart disease risk for every 1 milligram of heme iron consumed daily.\
> \[...]\
> (heme) iron, but not plant (non-heme) iron, was associated with an increased risk of stroke\
> \[...]\
> heme iron—but not total or plant (non-heme) iron—was significantly associated with greater risk for type 2 diabetes. There may be a 16% increase in risk for type 2 diabetes for every 1 milligram of heme iron consumed daily.\
> \[...]\
> The same has also been found for cancer, with up to 12% increased risk for every milligram of daily heme iron exposure.\
> \[...]\
> heme iron, which, because of its potential cancer risk, is not considered safe to add to foods intended for the general population.

[https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/plant-versus-animal-iron/](https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/plant-versus-animal-iron/)\
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq84RZVR\_C0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq84RZVR_C0)

## Animal Milks

There have been extremely well-funded and long-lasting advertising campaigns to push animal milks onto the general population. Because of this, many people have the impression that animal milks, such as cow's milk, are healthful sources of iron. This is not the case.\
\
Cow's milk comes packaged with reproductive hormones, saturated fat, cholesterol, bioaccumulated toxins, and is legally allowed to be sold with blood and pus diluted within it. There are many health risks associated with animal products in general, which are documented in the [Dietary Health](https://veganvigil.gitbook.io/overview/dietary-health) article on this site.\
\
Cow's milk is an iron inhibitor, meaning you lose much of the iron you would otherwise get from it.

> milk and milk substitutes (like soy milk) are not good for children with Iron Deficiency Anemia for a number of reasons:
>
> 1. Milk and milk substitutes are poor sources of iron.
> 2. Milk interferes with the body’s ability to absorb iron from food and supplements.
> 3. Excessive cow’s milk can cause microscopic damage to the intestines and cause small amounts of blood loss. When blood is lost, iron is lost with it.

[https://www.childrensmn.org/educationmaterials/childrensmn/article/18603/milk-free-diet-for-iron-deficiency-anemia-/](https://www.childrensmn.org/educationmaterials/childrensmn/article/18603/milk-free-diet-for-iron-deficiency-anemia-/)
