The short answer
No. One portion of basil (a few leaves) gives about 0.2 mg of iron, 1% of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need. What it brings is vitamin C, which helps plant iron from the rest of the plate in.
- mg0.2In one portion: a few leaves
- %1Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg3.2Per 100 g, as eaten
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to the foods closest to it.
What helps its iron in
A vitamin C helper
Its vitamin C lets in more plant iron from the whole plate.
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.
Recipes with basil
All recipes
Questions
How much iron is in basil?
About 3.2 mg per 100 g, so a few leaves (5 g) gives about 0.2 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Basil, fresh.
Does basil help iron absorption?
Yes. Its vitamin C helps the plant iron from the rest of the plate in. It works in the same meal, not hours apart.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Basil, fresh
- 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
- 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.