The short answer
No. One portion of shrimp (120 g) gives about 0.6 mg of iron, 3% of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need. Part of it is heme iron, the kind your body takes in most easily.
- mg0.6In one portion: a 120 g portion
- %3Of the 18 mg a day women aged 19 to 50 need
- mg0.5Per 100 g, as eaten
How it compares
Iron per portion, next to the foods closest to it.
What helps its iron in
Heme iron
Iron from meat and fish gets in well, and more when your stores are low. Calcium still holds some of it back.
Hallberg L, Hultén L, Gramatkovski E (1997), Am J Clin Nutr. Over five days of a whole diet, blood donors with ferritin around 37 µg/L absorbed 35% of the heme iron, men with fuller stores 23%.
Recipes with shrimp
All recipes
Questions
How much iron is in shrimp?
About 0.5 mg per 100 g, so a 120 g portion (120 g) gives about 0.6 mg. The number is from USDA FoodData Central: Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked.
Is the iron in shrimp easy to absorb?
Better than plant iron. The heme part gets in by its own route, more of it when your stores are low. The rest is non-heme iron, which a vitamin C helper on the plate lifts. Calcium holds back both.
What should I eat with shrimp for iron?
A vitamin C helper, such as lemon, red pepper, tomato or parsley, for the plant iron on the same plate, and water to drink rather than tea, coffee or milk.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked
- Hallberg L, Hultén L, Gramatkovski E. Iron absorption from the whole diet in men: how effective is the regulation of iron absorption?. Am J Clin Nutr, 1997
- Hurrell R, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010
- 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.