The short answer
A good source, if not a high one. One portion of cashews (a small handful) gives about 2 mg of iron, 11% of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need. 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.
- mg2In one portion: a small handful
- %11Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg6.7Per 100 g, as eaten
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to the foods closest to it.
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.
Macfarlane BJ, et al. (1988), Am J Clin Nutr. Walnuts, almonds, peanuts or hazelnuts with bread cut its iron absorption from 6.6% to 1.8%. With Brazil nuts and peanuts, 50 mg of vitamin C undid it.
Get more from it
- Put a helper on the same plate: vitamin C from one of these.Lemon juiceRed bell pepperTomatoTomato pasteStrawberriesBlackcurrants
Recipes with cashews
All recipes
Questions
How much iron is in cashews?
About 6.7 mg per 100 g, so a small handful (30 g) gives about 2 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Nuts, cashew nuts, raw.
Is the iron in cashews 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 cashews 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: Nuts, cashew nuts, raw
- 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
- Macfarlane BJ, et al.. Inhibitory effect of nuts on iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr, 1988
- 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.