How to Increase the Absorption

Eating iron along with foods containing certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta carotene, may help you absorb more iron. Other foods may hinder your iron absorption.
Iron is an essential mineral your body needs to function properly.
Thus, it’s vitally important to consume adequate amounts of it through your daily diet.
Interestingly, the foods you eat influence not only how much iron you consume but also how well it’s absorbed into your body (1Trusted Source).

Once your body absorbs iron, it’s used as a building block for hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that helps shuttle oxygen around your body.
Iron is also a component of myoglobin, an oxygen storage protein found in your muscles. This oxygen is used when you use your muscles.

The recommended iron intake range is 7–۱۸ milligrams (mg) per day for the general population and up to 27 (mg) for pregnant women (2Trusted Source).
Which foods contain it?
You may have heard that you can get iron from red meat, but there are many other foods that naturally contain iron.

In foods, iron is present in two forms: heme and non-heme.
Sources of heme iron
Heme iron is found in animal foods that contain hemoglobin, such as meat, fish, and poultry.
Heme iron is the best form of iron, as your body readily absorbs up to 40% of it (Trusted Source3Trusted Source).

Good food sources of heme iron include:
• beef
• chicken
• veal
• fish such as halibut, haddock, perch, salmon, or tuna

Red meat and organ meat like liver are particularly good sources of iron.
Sources of non-heme iron
Non-heme iron primarily comes from plant sources and is present in grains, vegetables, and fortified foods.
In terms of its bioavailability, non-heme iron is absorbed much less efficiently than heme iron.

Good sources of non-heme iron include:
• fortified cereals, rice, wheat, and oats
• dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
• dried fruits like raisins and apricots
• beans like lentils and soybeans

Foods that help you absorb more iron
While not all dietary iron is absorbed equally, some foods can enhance your body’s ability to absorb it.
Foods rich in vitamin C
Foods with vitamin A and beta-carotene
Meat, fish, and poultry
Foods that may hinder iron absorption
Just as some foods can improve iron absorption, others can hinder it.
Foods containing phytate
Calcium-rich foods
Foods containing polyphenols