Oxygen transport. Heme iron from animal foods is absorbed considerably better than non-heme iron.
Every figure here is per 100 g of the food, not per serving. That makes foods comparable to each other, but it is not how anyone eats: 100 g of a dried spice and 100 g of a leafy green are very different portions, so a high position in this list does not tell you what a meal contributes.
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
% DV compares the per-100 g amount with the FDA Daily Value of 18 mg for adults and children aged 4 and over. It is a labelling reference, not a personal target.
24 entries with a measured iron value, highest first.
Cuminum cyminum
The dried seed of Cuminum cyminum, used whole or ground across South Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking. The USDA…
369% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Curcuma longa
The dried, ground rhizome of Curcuma longa, and the yellow base of most curry powders. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried…
306% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Origanum vulgare
The dried leaf of Origanum vulgare, dominated by the phenols carvacrol and thymol. The USDA entry is per 100 g of dried leaf,…
204% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Trigonella foenum-graecum
The hard, bitter seed of a legume-family plant, used whole, ground or sprouted, and responsible for the smell most people…
186% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia officinalis
The grey-green leaf of Salvia officinalis, used fresh or dried and traditionally paired with fatty meats. The USDA entry is per…
156% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Capsicum annuum
Ground dried Capsicum annuum peppers, ranging from sweet to hot and sometimes smoked over oak. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the…
117% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Thymus vulgaris
A small-leaved Mediterranean subshrub used fresh or dried, and one of the few herbs that stands up to long cooking. Its…
97% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Coriandrum sativum
The dried fruit of Coriandrum sativum, the same plant whose leaves are sold as cilantro, though the seed tastes citrusy and warm…
91% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Glycine max
The legume behind tofu, soy milk, tempeh and miso, eaten either as mature dry beans or as edamame, the immature green pod…
87% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Sesamum indicum
Small oil-rich seeds used whole, toasted, or ground into tahini across the Middle East, Africa and East Asia. The USDA reference…
81% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Elettaria cardamomum
The dried seed pods of Elettaria cardamomum, used whole or as ground seed in baking, curries and coffee. The USDA entry is per…
78% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Syzygium aromaticum
The dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, one of the most aromatic spices in common use. The USDA entry is per 100 g of…
66% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Crocus sativus
The dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, harvested by hand and the most expensive spice by weight. The USDA entry is per…
62% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Piper nigrum
The dried unripe fruit of the Piper nigrum vine, used whole or ground. The USDA entry is per 100 g of ground pepper, whereas a…
54% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Gallus gallus domesticus
A small, soft organ meat with a milder flavour and finer texture than beef liver, which is why it dominates pâtés and parfaits.…
50% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cucurbita pepo
The hulled green kernels of certain pumpkin and squash varieties, eaten raw or roasted. The USDA reference entry is for the dried…
49% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Whole soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto, which produces the sticky polyglutamic acid strands and pungent aroma…
48% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cinnamomum cassia / Cinnamomum verum
Dried inner bark from several Cinnamomum species. Almost all supermarket cinnamon is cassia, which contains far more coumarin…
46% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cannabis sativa
The hulled seed of industrial hemp, a cannabis variety bred to contain negligible THC. The USDA reference entry is for the hulled…
44% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Capsicum annuum
Dried ground fruit of hot Capsicum annuum varieties. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried spice; a shake over a dish is well…
43% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia hispanica
Tiny seeds from a Mexican member of the mint family that form a thick gel when hydrated, because of soluble mucilage in the seed…
43% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Phaseolus vulgaris
The large red-skinned variety of the common bean, and the one carrying the highest concentration of the toxic lectin…
37% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Anacardium occidentale
The kidney-shaped seed that grows beneath the cashew apple, always sold shelled and heat-treated because the shell contains…
37% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia rosmarinus
A woody Mediterranean shrub whose needle-like leaves are used fresh or dried. Rosemary extract is also used industrially as a…
37% of the Daily Value per 100 g