Red meat and dried beans are two foods high in iron. Although the type of iron in animal foods is more readily absorbed by the body than the type in plant foods, it's easy to increase the amount of iron absorbed from beans. Because it can be difficult to meet the body's need for iron, it's important to eat at least one iron-rich food every day.
Function
Foods high in iron help the body make hemoglobin and myoglobin, proteins that carry oxygen in red blood cells and muscle tissue. Iron is essential for the transport of oxygen to every body cell. Iron is also a component of enzymes that help facilitate various chemical reactions in the body. Foods high in iron help prevent iron-deficiency anemia, which is a shortage of healthy, oxygen-rich red blood cells.
Iron Content
Foods that are high in iron help people meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDA, established by the National Institutes of Health. The RDA for children ranges from 7 mg for toddlers to 15 mg for teens, with more iron needed as children grow. The RDA for men 19 and older is 8 mg; for women 19 to 50, 18 mg; and for women 51 and older, 8 mg. The RDA for pregnant women of all ages is 27 mg; for lactating women 19 and older, 9 mg; and for lactating women ages 14 to 18, 10 mg.
Different types of beans contain different amounts of iron, as do the various types and cuts of meat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the iron content of various foods: One 1/2-cup serving of canned white beans provides 3.9 mg iron; 1/2 cup of cooked lentils provides 3.3 mg; 1/2 cup of cooked kidney beans provides 2.6 mg; 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) provides 2.4 mg; and 1/2 cup cooked lima beans provides 2.2 mg. A 3 oz. serving of beef chuck roast provides 3.1 mg iron; a 3 oz. serving of cooked beef bottom round provides 2.8 mg; 3 oz. of cooked beef ribs provides 2.4 mg; 3 oz. of cooked ground beef with 15 percent fat provides 2.2 mg; and 3 oz. of cooked top sirloin provides 2.0 mg.
Types
Heme iron, found in animal foods, is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron, found in plant foods. Up to 35 percent of heme iron is absorbed from meat, poultry or fish, and up to 20 percent of non-heme iron is absorbed from beans, grains, vegetables and other plant foods, according to Harvard University Health Services. The actual amount of iron absorbed from any food depends on individual body needs and other components of a meal that help increase or inhibit iron absorption.
Strategies
The body absorbs more iron from beans and other plant foods when these foods are served with meat, because heme iron increases the absorption of non-heme iron when the two are eaten at the same time. For instance, when meat and beans are served together in dishes such as chili with ground beef and kidney beans, or sausage and white bean stew, more iron is absorbed than if these foods are eaten separately. A good source of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, broccoli, sweet peppers or tomatoes, served with beans also increases the amount of non-heme iron absorbed.
Considerations
Although a serving of dried beans may contain more iron than a serving of red meat, beans also contain phytic acid, a substance that interferes with non-heme iron absorption. Strategies used to increase iron absorption from non-heme foods help overcome phytic acid's interference. Foods high in calcium also interfere with iron absorption and should be consumed in a separate meal.
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