Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020

Iron content of Indian foods

Per 100 g, turmeric powder tops IFCT 2017 for iron at 46.08 mg, but it is eaten by the pinch. Among foods eaten in real amounts, garden cress seeds give 17.2 mg, chicken liver 9.92 mg, rajgira 9.33 mg, horse gram 8.76 mg and soya bean 8.29 mg. ICMR-NIN 2020 asks for 19 mg of iron a day for men and 29 mg for women.

01The nutrient

What iron does, and where Indian diets stand

Iron sits at the centre of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to every tissue. It also helps muscles store oxygen and supports brain development in children. When intake or absorption falls short, the body's stores run down first, and then haemoglobin drops, which shows up as tiredness, breathlessness and pale skin.

Anaemia is one of India's most common nutrition problems, especially among women, adolescent girls and young children. Part of the reason is that most dietary iron in Indian meals comes from grains, pulses and greens, in a form the gut absorbs poorly, and tea taken with meals cuts absorption further. Blood loss and infections add to the strain.

This table ranks 242 foods in IFCT 2017 by iron per 100 g. Spices fill many of the top places, which is accurate but not very useful, since they are used in small amounts. The real work is done by foods further down: chicken liver, rajgira, horse gram, soya, moth bean, garden cress seeds and greens such as gongura.

02The full table

All 242 foods ranked by iron

Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first. The last two columns show the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers.

Indian foods ranked by iron per 100 g
Rank	Food	Group	Per 100 g	Man's daily need	Woman's daily need
1	Turmeric powder	Spices, herbs and condiments	46.08 mg	243%	159%
2	Mace	Spices, herbs and condiments	22.69 mg	119%	78%
3	Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	20.58 mg	108%	71%
4	Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	18.19 mg	96%	63%
5	Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	17.64 mg	93%	61%
6	Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	17.2 mg	91%	59%
7	Asafoetida (hing)	Spices, herbs and condiments	15.68 mg	83%	54%
8	Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	13.9 mg	73%	48%
9	Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	13.65 mg	72%	47%
10	Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	13.49 mg	71%	47%
11	Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	11.91 mg	63%	41%
12	Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	10.13 mg	53%	35%
13	Chicken liver and gizzard	Meat, poultry and eggs	9.92 mg	52%	34%
14	Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	9.41 mg	50%	32%
15	Amaranth seed (rajgira)	Cereals and millets	9.33 mg	49%	32%
16	Tamarind	Fruits	9.16 mg	48%	32%
17	Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	8.76 mg	46%	30%
18	Curry leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	8.67 mg	46%	30%
19	Mint leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	8.56 mg	45%	30%
20	Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	Spices, herbs and condiments	8.47 mg	45%	29%
21	Cardamom	Spices, herbs and condiments	8.33 mg	44%	29%
22	Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	8.29 mg	44%	29%
23	Pippali (long pepper)	Spices, herbs and condiments	7.99 mg	42%	28%
24	Moth bean (matki)	Pulses and legumes	7.9 mg	42%	27%
25	Gongura (gogu) leaves	Green leafy vegetables	7.65 mg	40%	26%
26	Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	7.57 mg	40%	26%
27	Quinoa	Cereals and millets	7.51 mg	40%	26%
28	Masoor dal (red lentil)	Pulses and legumes	7.06 mg	37%	24%
29	Raisins	Fruits	6.81 mg	36%	23%
30	Bajra (pearl millet)	Cereals and millets	6.42 mg	34%	22%
31	Amaranth spinosus	Green leafy vegetables	6.37 mg	34%	22%
32	Garden cress leaves	Green leafy vegetables	6.19 mg	33%	21%
33	Rajma (red kidney beans)	Pulses and legumes	6.13 mg	32%	21%
34	Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	6.08 mg	32%	21%
35	Cashew nut	Nuts and oilseeds	5.95 mg	31%	21%
36	Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	5.9 mg	31%	20%
37	Sunflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	5.85 mg	31%	20%
38	Beet greens	Green leafy vegetables	5.8 mg	31%	20%
39	Fenugreek leaves (methi)	Green leafy vegetables	5.69 mg	30%	20%
40	Pumpkin leaves	Green leafy vegetables	5.58 mg	29%	19%
41	Parsley	Green leafy vegetables	5.51 mg	29%	19%
42	Flaxseeds (alsi)	Nuts and oilseeds	5.44 mg	29%	19%
43	Coriander leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	5.3 mg	28%	18%
44	Dried peas	Pulses and legumes	5.09 mg	27%	18%
45	Rice bean	Pulses and legumes	4.76 mg	25%	16%
46	Black gram (urad)	Pulses and legumes	4.67 mg	25%	16%
47	Amaranth leaves (chaulai)	Green leafy vegetables	4.64 mg	24%	16%
48	Jaggery	Sugars and natural drinks	4.63 mg	24%	16%
49	Ragi (finger millet)	Cereals and millets	4.62 mg	24%	16%
50	Almond	Nuts and oilseeds	4.59 mg	24%	16%
51	Drumstick leaves (moringa)	Green leafy vegetables	4.56 mg	24%	16%
52	Puffed rice (murmura)	Cereals and millets	4.55 mg	24%	16%
53	Field bean (dry)	Pulses and legumes	4.5 mg	24%	16%
54	Pine nuts (chilgoza)	Nuts and oilseeds	4.5 mg	24%	16%
55	Pistachio	Nuts and oilseeds	4.5 mg	24%	16%
56	Poha (rice flakes)	Cereals and millets	4.46 mg	23%	15%
57	Agathi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	4.36 mg	23%	15%
58	Duck	Meat, poultry and eggs	4.26 mg	22%	15%
59	Basella leaves	Green leafy vegetables	4.2 mg	22%	14%
60	Wheat flour (atta and maida)	Cereals and millets	4.1 mg	22%	14%
61	Safflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	4.06 mg	21%	14%
62	Wheat (whole, suji and dalia)	Cereals and millets	3.97 mg	21%	14%
63	Emu	Meat, poultry and eggs	3.95 mg	21%	14%
64	Jowar (sorghum)	Cereals and millets	3.95 mg	21%	14%
65	Green gram (moong)	Pulses and legumes	3.93 mg	21%	14%
66	Cluster beans (gawar)	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.9 mg	21%	13%
67	Red gram (toor or arhar)	Pulses and legumes	3.9 mg	21%	13%
68	Ponnaganni	Green leafy vegetables	3.88 mg	20%	13%
69	Radish leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3.82 mg	20%	13%
70	Pigeon	Meat, poultry and eggs	3.81 mg	20%	13%
71	Pak Choi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3.78 mg	20%	13%
72	Rumex leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3.67 mg	19%	13%
73	Oyster mushroom (dried)	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.58 mg	19%	12%
74	Peanuts (groundnut)	Nuts and oilseeds	3.44 mg	18%	12%
75	Colocasia leaves (arbi patta)	Green leafy vegetables	3.41 mg	18%	12%
76	Lotus root (kamal kakdi)	Roots and tubers	3.34 mg	18%	12%
77	Walnut	Nuts and oilseeds	3.21 mg	17%	11%
78	Dates	Fruits	3.2 mg	17%	11%
79	Coconut	Nuts and oilseeds	3.13 mg	16%	11%
80	Spring onion	Vegetables and mushrooms	3.09 mg	16%	11%
81	Betel leaves	Green leafy vegetables	3 mg	16%	10%
82	Spinach	Green leafy vegetables	2.95 mg	16%	10%
83	Mustard leaves (sarson)	Green leafy vegetables	2.84 mg	15%	10%
84	Tamarind leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.84 mg	15%	10%
85	Tilapia	Fish and seafood	2.84 mg	15%	10%
86	Lettuce	Green leafy vegetables	2.73 mg	14%	9%
87	Bathua leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.66 mg	14%	9%
88	Knol-khol leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.51 mg	13%	9%
89	Apricot (dried and processed)	Fruits	2.5 mg	13%	9%
90	Maize (corn)	Cereals and millets	2.49 mg	13%	9%
91	Cauliflower leaves	Green leafy vegetables	2.42 mg	13%	8%
92	Varagu millet	Cereals and millets	2.34 mg	12%	8%
93	Nutmeg	Spices, herbs and condiments	2.33 mg	12%	8%
94	Khoa (mawa)	Milk and dairy	2.32 mg	12%	8%
95	Mango ginger (amba haldi)	Spices, herbs and condiments	2.31 mg	12%	8%
96	Guinea fowl	Meat, poultry and eggs	2.2 mg	12%	8%
97	Phalsa	Fruits	2.01 mg	11%	7%
98	Turkey	Meat, poultry and eggs	2.01 mg	11%	7%
99	Field beans (fresh pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.95 mg	10%	7%
100	Shiitake mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.93 mg	10%	7%
101	Ginger	Spices, herbs and condiments	1.9 mg	10%	7%
102	Quail	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.9 mg	10%	7%
103	Egg	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.82 mg	10%	6%
104	Rabbit	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.74 mg	9%	6%
105	Moon fish	Fish and seafood	1.67 mg	9%	6%
106	Country chicken (desi)	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.66 mg	9%	6%
107	Sheep meat (lamb)	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.63 mg	9%	6%
108	Tuna	Fish and seafood	1.6 mg	8%	6%
109	Green peas (fresh)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.58 mg	8%	5%
110	Barley	Cereals and millets	1.56 mg	8%	5%
111	Brussels sprouts	Green leafy vegetables	1.54 mg	8%	5%
112	Freshwater Eel	Fish and seafood	1.54 mg	8%	5%
113	Goat meat (mutton)	Meat, poultry and eggs	1.48 mg	8%	5%
114	Chillies (green and red)	Spices, herbs and condiments	1.46 mg	8%	5%
115	Mackerel	Fish and seafood	1.46 mg	8%	5%
116	Baby corn	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.45 mg	8%	5%
117	Celery stalk	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.36 mg	7%	5%
118	Currants	Fruits	1.36 mg	7%	5%
119	Milk fish	Fish and seafood	1.35 mg	7%	5%
120	Mullet	Fish and seafood	1.31 mg	7%	5%
121	Samai (little millet)	Cereals and millets	1.26 mg	7%	4%
122	Amla (Indian gooseberry)	Fruits	1.25 mg	7%	4%
123	French beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.25 mg	7%	4%
124	Yam (suran)	Roots and tubers	1.22 mg	6%	4%
125	Hilsa (ilish)	Fish and seafood	1.19 mg	6%	4%
126	Tender red gram (fresh toor)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.18 mg	6%	4%
127	Bitter gourd (karela)	Vegetables and mushrooms	1.15 mg	6%	4%
128	Catla	Fish and seafood	1.14 mg	6%	4%
129	Sugarcane	Sugars and natural drinks	1.12 mg	6%	4%
130	Crab	Fish and seafood	1.1 mg	6%	4%
131	Octopus	Fish and seafood	1.08 mg	6%	4%
132	Garlic	Spices, herbs and condiments	1.05 mg	6%	4%
133	Rohu	Fish and seafood	1.04 mg	5%	4%
134	Clam	Fish and seafood	1.01 mg	5%	3%
135	Salmon	Fish and seafood	0.98 mg	5%	3%
136	Cauliflower	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.96 mg	5%	3%
137	Broad beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.94 mg	5%	3%
138	Pork	Meat, poultry and eggs	0.91 mg	5%	3%
139	Oyster	Fish and seafood	0.9 mg	5%	3%
140	Paneer	Milk and dairy	0.9 mg	5%	3%
141	Karonda	Fruits	0.87 mg	5%	3%
142	Mud crab	Fish and seafood	0.87 mg	5%	3%
143	Rani	Fish and seafood	0.87 mg	5%	3%
144	Okra (bhindi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.84 mg	4%	3%
145	Chicken (broiler)	Meat, poultry and eggs	0.83 mg	4%	3%
146	Sardine	Fish and seafood	0.83 mg	4%	3%
147	Catfish	Fish and seafood	0.82 mg	4%	3%
148	Avocado	Fruits	0.81 mg	4%	3%
149	Bombay duck	Fish and seafood	0.81 mg	4%	3%
150	Orange	Fruits	0.81 mg	4%	3%
151	Tapioca (cassava)	Roots and tubers	0.81 mg	4%	3%
152	Litchi	Fruits	0.79 mg	4%	3%
153	Pomfret	Fish and seafood	0.78 mg	4%	3%
154	Prawns	Fish and seafood	0.78 mg	4%	3%
155	Colocasia stem	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.77 mg	4%	3%
156	Lobster	Fish and seafood	0.77 mg	4%	3%
157	Water Chestnut	Roots and tubers	0.77 mg	4%	3%
158	Beet root	Roots and tubers	0.76 mg	4%	3%
159	Drumstick (moringa pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.73 mg	4%	3%
160	Scarlet runner bean	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.73 mg	4%	3%
161	Tiger prawns	Fish and seafood	0.73 mg	4%	3%
162	Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi)	Fruits	0.71 mg	4%	2%
163	Fig	Fruits	0.69 mg	4%	2%
164	Pangas	Fish and seafood	0.69 mg	4%	2%
165	Colocasia root (arbi)	Roots and tubers	0.66 mg	3%	2%
166	Rice	Cereals and millets	0.65 mg	3%	2%
167	Black berry	Fruits	0.63 mg	3%	2%
168	Carrot	Roots and tubers	0.6 mg	3%	2%
169	Karimeen (pearl spot)	Fish and seafood	0.6 mg	3%	2%
170	Silver carp	Fish and seafood	0.58 mg	3%	2%
171	Potato	Roots and tubers	0.57 mg	3%	2%
172	Black snapper	Fish and seafood	0.56 mg	3%	2%
173	Silan	Fish and seafood	0.56 mg	3%	2%
174	Anchovy	Fish and seafood	0.54 mg	3%	2%
175	Zucchini	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.52 mg	3%	2%
176	Mango	Fruits	0.51 mg	3%	2%
177	Pointed gourd (parwal)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.5 mg	3%	2%
178	Squid	Fish and seafood	0.5 mg	3%	2%
179	Chikoo (sapota)	Fruits	0.49 mg	3%	2%
180	Queen fish	Fish and seafood	0.49 mg	3%	2%
181	Capsicum	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.48 mg	3%	2%
182	Chow chow (chayote)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.48 mg	3%	2%
183	Ash gourd (petha)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.47 mg	2%	2%
184	Cucumber	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.46 mg	2%	2%
185	Star fruit	Fruits	0.45 mg	2%	2%
186	Wood apple (kaitha)	Fruits	0.45 mg	2%	2%
187	Onion	Spices, herbs and condiments	0.43 mg	2%	1%
188	Custard apple (sitaphal)	Fruits	0.42 mg	2%	1%
189	Ridge gourd (turai)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.42 mg	2%	1%
190	Seer fish (vanjaram)	Fish and seafood	0.41 mg	2%	1%
191	Tinda (round gourd)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.41 mg	2%	1%
192	Ber (Indian jujube)	Fruits	0.4 mg	2%	1%
193	Raw mango	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.4 mg	2%	1%
194	Ivy gourd (kundru)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.38 mg	2%	1%
195	Parrot fish	Fish and seafood	0.38 mg	2%	1%
196	Shark	Fish and seafood	0.38 mg	2%	1%
197	Brinjal (baingan)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.37 mg	2%	1%
198	Radish	Roots and tubers	0.37 mg	2%	1%
199	Rambutan	Fruits	0.37 mg	2%	1%
200	Red snapper	Fish and seafood	0.37 mg	2%	1%
201	Cherries	Fruits	0.36 mg	2%	1%
202	Jackfruit (ripe)	Fruits	0.36 mg	2%	1%
203	Strawberry	Fruits	0.36 mg	2%	1%
204	Cabbage	Green leafy vegetables	0.35 mg	2%	1%
205	Peach	Fruits	0.35 mg	2%	1%
206	Sweet potato	Roots and tubers	0.35 mg	2%	1%
207	Plantain (raw banana)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.34 mg	2%	1%
208	Bamboo shoot	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.33 mg	2%	1%
209	Jamun	Fruits	0.33 mg	2%	1%
210	Sole fish	Fish and seafood	0.33 mg	2%	1%
211	Guava	Fruits	0.32 mg	2%	1%
212	Matha	Fish and seafood	0.32 mg	2%	1%
213	Snake gourd	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.32 mg	2%	1%
214	Bhetki (barramundi)	Fish and seafood	0.31 mg	2%	1%
215	Chembali	Fish and seafood	0.31 mg	2%	1%
216	Pomegranate	Fruits	0.31 mg	2%	1%
217	Raw jackfruit	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.31 mg	2%	1%
218	Chicken mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.3 mg	2%	1%
219	Tomato	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.3 mg	2%	1%
220	Button mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.29 mg	2%	1%
221	Pumpkin	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.29 mg	2%	1%
222	Soursop	Fruits	0.29 mg	2%	1%
223	Banana	Fruits	0.28 mg	1%	1%
224	Mangosteen	Fruits	0.28 mg	1%	1%
225	Pear	Fruits	0.28 mg	1%	1%
226	Pineapple	Fruits	0.28 mg	1%	1%
227	Apple	Fruits	0.26 mg	1%	1%
228	Bottle gourd (lauki)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.26 mg	1%	1%
229	Kalava	Fish and seafood	0.26 mg	1%	1%
230	Plum	Fruits	0.25 mg	1%	1%
231	Knol-khol (kohlrabi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.24 mg	1%	1%
232	Bael	Fruits	0.23 mg	1%	1%
233	Papaya	Fruits	0.23 mg	1%	1%
234	Grapes	Fruits	0.22 mg	1%	1%
235	Watermelon	Fruits	0.22 mg	1%	1%
236	Raw papaya	Vegetables and mushrooms	0.2 mg	1%	1%
237	Muskmelon	Fruits	0.18 mg	1%	1%
238	Milk	Milk and dairy	0.15 mg	1%	1%
239	Lemon (juice)	Fruits	0.12 mg	1%	0%
240	Sweet lime (mosambi)	Fruits	0.11 mg	1%	0%
241	Coconut water	Sugars and natural drinks	0.06 mg	0%	0%
242	Pomelo	Fruits	0.06 mg	0%	0%

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily needs: ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (brief note).

Cite this page

NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Iron content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/iron/

03Vegetarian sources

The top vegetarian sources of iron

Top vegetarian sources of iron per 100 g
Food	Group	Per 100 g
Turmeric powder	Spices, herbs and condiments	46.08 mg
Mace	Spices, herbs and condiments	22.69 mg
Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	20.58 mg
Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	18.19 mg
Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	17.64 mg
Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	17.2 mg
Asafoetida (hing)	Spices, herbs and condiments	15.68 mg
Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	13.9 mg
Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	13.65 mg
Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	13.49 mg
Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	11.91 mg
Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	10.13 mg
Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	9.41 mg
Amaranth seed (rajgira)	Cereals and millets	9.33 mg
Tamarind	Fruits	9.16 mg

04How much you need

Iron requirements for Indians

ICMR-NIN 2020 sets the recommended iron intake at 19 mg a day for a 65 kg man and 29 mg a day for a 55 kg woman of reproductive age, whose monthly losses raise her need. The estimated average requirements for iron are 11 mg for men and 15 mg for women.

These figures assume a typical Indian diet, in which only a small share of the iron eaten is absorbed. Pregnancy raises needs sharply, which is why iron and folic acid tablets are given through public health programmes. Anyone diagnosed with anaemia should be managed by a doctor rather than by diet changes alone.

05Using the table

From a table to a plate

Iron comes in two forms. Haem iron, in liver, meat, poultry and fish, is absorbed far better than the non-haem iron in plant foods, so a smaller figure from chicken liver can count for more than a larger one from a seed. Values are per 100 g of raw food, and a teaspoon of turmeric or cumin weighs only a few grams. Cooking in an iron kadhai can add some iron to food, while tea, coffee and calcium taken with the meal reduce what is absorbed.

Add a vitamin C food to iron-rich meals: lemon on dal, amla or guava on the side, or tomato cooked with greens.
Keep tea and coffee at least an hour away from main meals, because their tannins block iron uptake.
Sprout or ferment pulses and grains, as in moong sprouts, idli and dosa, to reduce phytate and release more iron.
Use rajgira, horse gram, soya, moth bean and halim (garden cress seeds) in laddoos, usal, chilla and porridge.
If you eat meat, include liver or red meat now and then; even small amounts improve iron uptake from the vegetables served with them.
Cook sour dishes such as sambar, rasam or tomato curry in an iron kadhai from time to time.
Do not start iron tablets without a blood test and medical advice, as too much iron can be harmful.

06Questions

What people ask about iron

Which Indian food has the most iron?

Per 100 g, turmeric powder has the most in IFCT 2017 at 46.08 mg, then mace at 22.69 mg and cumin at 20.58 mg. These are used in small amounts, so for real meals look to garden cress seeds at 17.2 mg, chicken liver at 9.92 mg and rajgira at 9.33 mg.

How much iron does a woman need per day in India?

ICMR-NIN 2020 sets 29 mg a day for a 55 kg adult woman, against 19 mg for a 65 kg man. The higher figure covers monthly blood loss and the low absorption of iron from typical vegetarian Indian meals.

Which vegetarian food is highest in iron?

Leaving aside spices, niger seeds lead the vegetarian list at 18.19 mg per 100 g, followed by garden cress seeds at 17.2 mg, sesame at 13.9 mg, mustard seeds at 13.49 mg and rajgira at 9.33 mg. Horse gram, soya and moth bean are the strongest pulses.

Does spinach have a lot of iron?

Spinach is not among the top 25 iron foods in IFCT 2017. Gongura leaves, at 7.65 mg per 100 g, is the leafy green that makes the list. Greens of every kind give up more of their iron when eaten with lemon or another vitamin C food.

Can diet alone correct anaemia?

A good diet keeps iron stores up and supports recovery, but once anaemia is diagnosed, most people need iron tablets or other care from a doctor. The doctor will also look for the cause, such as blood loss or worms, which food cannot address.

07Keep exploring

Iron content of Indian foods

What iron does, and where Indian diets stand

All 242 foods ranked by iron

The top vegetarian sources of iron

Iron requirements for Indians

From a table to a plate

What people ask about iron

Which Indian food has the most iron?

How much iron does a woman need per day in India?

Which vegetarian food is highest in iron?

Does spinach have a lot of iron?

Can diet alone correct anaemia?

Related reading and tables

Iron-rich Indian foods, and why eating them is not enough

Calories (energy) content of Indian foods

Protein content of Indian foods

Dietary fibre content of Indian foods

Total fat content of Indian foods

Carbohydrate content of Indian foods

Calcium content of Indian foods

Zinc content of Indian foods

Magnesium content of Indian foods

Potassium content of Indian foods