Do Avocados Have Lots of Iron in Them?
Avocados give you antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Although you’ll get plenty of nutrients from avocados, they’re not the best sources of iron. If you’re looking to boost your iron intake, fresh avocado slices pair perfectly with lots of iron-rich foods.
Amount of Iron
Half an avocado, weighing 3.5 ounces, has about 0.6 milligrams of iron. The amount of iron you should be getting in your diet depends on your gender. For men, the recommendation is 8 milligrams daily throughout all life stages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women need 18 milligrams per day, although if you’re pregnant, you’ll have to increase this to 27 milligrams each day. If you breast-feed after delivery, you’ll only need 9 milligrams daily.After age 51, women require only 8 milligrams per day.
Why You Need It
Iron is essential for oxygen transport in your blood, delivering oxygen from your lungs to all cells, tissues and vital organs. Your cells also need iron so they can grow. If you're deficient in iron, you’ll feel fatigued and won’t be able to concentrate. Your immune system function suffers, leaving you more susceptible to getting sick.
Iron in avocados and other plant foods, called nonheme iron, isn’t very bioavailable, meaning your body doesn’t absorb it well. Consuming vitamin C with a nonheme iron source can improve absorption. Avocados have some vitamin C, but adding bell pepper slices or tomato wedges to your meal gives you even more of the vitamin. Nonheme iron also doesn’t absorb well if you eat foods containing calcium with your meal – a glass of milk, a slice of cheese or even spinach can inhibit absorption.
Getting More Iron
Some of the best sources of iron are animal-based foods. These foods have heme iron, which is much easier for your system to pick up and it doesn’t rely on other components of your diet in order to absorb. Plus, heme iron improves the absorption of nonheme iron. Add avocado slices to a grilled chicken breast. Three ounces of light meat chicken have 0.9 milligrams of highly absorbable heme iron. If you prefer beef for dinner, add a few chunks of braised beef chuck to a tossed salad and top with avocado slices. You’ll get 3.1 milligrams of heme iron from 3 ounces of cooked beef chuck alone. Turkey is another way to go to get more heme iron in your diet. Three ounces of roasted dark turkey meat – perfect in a sandwich with avocado slices – offer 2 milligrams of heme iron.
Melodie Anne Coffman specializes in overall wellness, with particular interests in women's health and personal defense. She holds a master's degree in food science and human nutrition and is a certified instructor through the NRA. Coffman is pursuing her personal trainer certification in 2015.