Heme iron is a form of iron that is more easily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract than non-heme iron, thus making it a better dietary source of iron. Heme iron is founds in animal products only including organ meats, red meat, poultry and fish. About 50 to 60% of the iron from these sources is heme iron while the other 40 to 50% is non-heme iron according to Gropper's "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism." The iron found in plants and plant-based foods is non-heme iron. Adult men require 8mg of iron daily while adult women require 18mg daily until age 50 to compensate for the iron lost during the monthly menstrual cycle. After age 50, iron requirements for women drop to 8mg. Note that all iron amounts listed are for total iron as data for heme iron alone is not available.
Organ Meats
Organ meats, especially liver, are one of most concentrated sources of heme iron. According to the USDA Food and Nutrient Database, 3 oz. of beef liver contains 5.2mg of iron, 1 chicken liver contains 2.3mg of iron, ½ cup of chicken giblets contains 5.1mg of iron, and 2 slices of Braunschweiger liver sausage contain 6.4mg of iron. Organ meats are not a particularly popular source of heme iron, but when you have iron-deficiency anemia, adding liver or liver sausage can be a way to significantly increase iron intake. Liver can be finely chopped and mixed in with ground beef and used for burgers, tomato sauce, chili or tacos.
Red Meat
Red meat including beef, pork and venison are all sources of heme iron. Total iron content for a 3 oz. serving of each meat is as follows. Beef contains 1.5 to 3.1mg of iron, pork has 0.7 to 1.7mg and venison has 2.9 to 4.3mg.
Poultry
Poultry, including chicken, duck and turkey, also contain heme iron and total iron amounts that contribute significantly to total daily iron intake. Chicken contains 1 to 1.25mg of iron, duck has 2.3mg and turkey has 1.1 to 2mg per 3 oz. serving. Dark meat poultry, such as thigh and leg meat contains more iron than white meat from the breast.
Fish
Fish can also be a valuable source of heme iron with sardines providing 2.5mg,
canned light tuna with 1.3mg and smoked salmon providing 0.7mg all per 3 oz. serving. Clams have 3.1mg in a ¾ cup serving.
References
- "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism"; Sareen Gropper, Jack Smith, James Groff; 2005
- USDA Food and Nutrient Database
- USDA Iron Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure
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