The short answer
Per 100 g, yes: 14.6 mg. But a portion is small: 1 tbsp, about 10 g, gives 1.5 mg, 8% 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 calcium in it holds some of that back.
- mg1.5In one portion: 1 tbsp
- %8Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg14.6Per 100 g, as eaten
Worth knowingAbout 14.6 mg per 100 g, and even more calcium, which cancels it out.
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to other foods on the seeds shelf.
- Pumpkin seeds2.6 mg
- Sesame seeds1.5 mg
- Tahini1.3 mg
- Chia seeds1.2 mg
- Flaxseed0.6 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.
Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L (1989), Am J Clin Nutr. Phytate in bread cut iron absorption by 18% to 82%, more with more phytate. Vitamin C in the same meal counteracted it.Calcium
Calcium holds iron back, from plants and from meat.
Hallberg L, et al. (1991), Am J Clin Nutr. 165 mg of calcium from milk or cheese cut iron absorption from a meal by 50–60%, and it lowered heme iron too.
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 ruleKeep it 3–4 hours from an iron meal.
Questions
How much iron is in sesame seeds?
About 14.6 mg per 100 g, so 1 tbsp (10 g) gives about 1.5 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried.
Is the iron in sesame seeds 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 sesame seeds 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.
Do sesame seeds block iron absorption?
Its calcium holds iron back, from plants and from meat. The program keeps calcium foods 3 to 4 hours from an iron meal.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried
- 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
- Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L. Iron absorption in man: ascorbic acid and dose-dependent inhibition by phytate. Am J Clin Nutr, 1989
- Hallberg L, et al.. Calcium: effect of different amounts on nonheme- and heme-iron absorption in humans. Am J Clin Nutr, 1991
- Gleerup A, et al.. Iron absorption from the whole diet: comparison of the effect of two different distributions of daily calcium intake. Am J Clin Nutr, 1995
- Gleerup A, Rossander-Hultén L, Hallberg L. Duration of the inhibitory effect of calcium on non-haem iron absorption in man. Eur J Clin Nutr, 1993
- 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.