The short answer
Yes. One portion of amaranth (1 cup cooked) gives about 5.1 mg of iron, 28% of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need. On a US food label, a serving with 20% of the daily value counts as high. It is non-heme iron, so only a small share gets in unless a vitamin C helper shares the plate. The phytate in it holds some of that back.
- mg5.1In one portion: 1 cup cooked
- %28Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg2.1Per 100 g, as eaten
Worth knowingAbout 2.1 mg per 100 g cooked, more than quinoa or buckwheat.
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to other foods on the grains and bread shelf.
What helps its iron in
Plant iron
Only a small share gets in on its own. A vitamin C helper on the same plate lifts it.
Cook JD, Monsen ER (1977), Am J Clin Nutr. 25 mg of vitamin C with a meal raised its iron absorption 1.65 times, and 1,000 mg almost 10 times. With meat in the meal, the rise was smaller.
What holds it back
Phytate
Phytate in the seed binds plant iron. Soaking, sprouting and long fermentation break it down, and a vitamin C helper works against it.
Hurrell RF, et al. (2003), Am J Clin Nutr. Breaking down the phytate in grain porridges raised their iron absorption: wheat from 1% to 11.5%, oats from 0.3% to 2.8%. Made with milk, most of the gain was lost.
Get more from it
- Put a helper on the same plate: vitamin C from one of these.Lemon juiceRed bell pepperTomatoTomato pasteStrawberriesBlackcurrants
Questions
How much iron is in amaranth?
About 2.1 mg per 100 g, so 1 cup cooked (245 g) gives about 5.1 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Amaranth grain, cooked.
Is the iron in amaranth easy to absorb?
Less easily than iron from meat or fish. On its own only a small share gets in. A vitamin C helper on the same plate lifts it, and coffee, tea and dairy near the meal hold it back.
What should I eat with amaranth for iron?
A vitamin C helper on the same plate: lemon juice, red pepper, tomato, parsley or berries. A little meat or fish helps too, if you eat it.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Amaranth grain, cooked
- Cook JD, Monsen ER. Vitamin C, the common cold, and iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr, 1977
- Ballot D, et al.. The effects of fruit juices and fruits on the absorption of iron from a rice meal. Br J Nutr, 1987
- Rossander L, Hallberg L, Björn-Rasmussen E. Absorption of iron from breakfast meals. Am J Clin Nutr, 1979
- Hurrell RF, et al.. Degradation of phytic acid in cereal porridges improves iron absorption by human subjects. Am J Clin Nutr, 2003
- Brune M, et al.. Iron absorption from bread in humans: inhibiting effects of cereal fiber, phytate and inositol phosphates with different numbers of phosphate groups. J Nutr, 1992
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: fact sheet for health professionals
- US Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 101.54: nutrient content claims for "good source" and "high"
Iron is from food tables, for the food as eaten, and real foods vary with the cut, the brand and the recipe. Your body takes in a share of it, and a larger share when your stores are low.
Educational, not medical advice. ferritin.ai does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to your doctor about your own results.