The short answer
Yes. One portion of kidney beans (1 cup cooked) gives about 5.2 mg of iron, 29% 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.
- mg5.2In one portion: 1 cup cooked
- %29Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg2.9Per 100 g, as eaten
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to other foods on the beans, lentils and tofu shelf.
- Tofu6.8 mg
- White beans6.7 mg
- Lentils6.6 mg
- Red kidney beans5.2 mg
- Chickpeas4.6 mg
- Split peas2.6 mg
- Hummus1.4 mg
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.
Petry N, et al. (2010), J Nutr. Only 2.5% of the iron in a bean porridge was absorbed. Taking out both its phytate and its polyphenols raised that 2.6 times; taking out one alone did little.
Get more from it
- Put a helper on the same plate: vitamin C from one of these.Lemon juiceRed bell pepperTomatoTomato pasteStrawberriesBlackcurrants
- The program's ruleSoak dried beans and lentils before cooking, as the program's recipes do.
Recipes with kidney beans
All recipes
Questions
How much iron is in kidney beans?
About 2.9 mg per 100 g, so 1 cup cooked (180 g) gives about 5.2 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt.
Is the iron in kidney beans 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 kidney beans 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: Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
- 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
- Petry N, et al.. Polyphenols and phytic acid contribute to the low iron bioavailability from common beans in young women. J Nutr, 2010
- Sandberg AS. Bioavailability of minerals in legumes. Br J Nutr, 2002
- 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.