The short answer
A good source, if not a high one. One portion of rye bread (2 slices) gives about 1.8 mg of iron, 10% 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.
- mg1.8In one portion: 2 slices
- %10Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg3Per 100 g, as eaten
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
- Choose bread with a long rise, like sourdough.
Questions
How much iron is in rye bread?
About 3 mg per 100 g, so 2 slices (60 g) gives about 1.8 mg. The number is from the Swedish Food Agency's database: Bröd fullkorn råg fibrer ca 10% typ pumpernickel.
Is the iron in rye bread 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 rye bread 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
- Swedish Food Agency, food database: Bröd fullkorn råg fibrer ca 10% typ pumpernickel
- 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.