Heme Iron

 Heme iron is the type of iron found in animal-based foods, and it's the most bioavailable form of iron—meaning your body absorbs it more efficiently than non-heme iron (which comes from plant sources).

Heme Iron Levels (in Foods)

Here's a quick overview of common sources and their heme iron content per 100 grams (3.5 oz):

FoodHeme Iron (mg/100g)Beef Liver6.2 mgChicken Liver9.0 mgBeef (Ground, Cooked)2.6 mgLamb2.1–2.7 mgChicken (Dark Meat)1.1–1.5 mgPork1.0–1.2 mgTuna (Cooked)1.0 mgClams, Oysters (Heme + Non-Heme)3–25 mg 

Note: Roughly 40% of iron in red meat is heme iron, whereas in poultry or fish it's closer to 25–30%.

Why Heme Iron Matters

Absorption Rate: Around 15–35% of heme iron is absorbed, compared to 2–20% for non-heme iron.

Doesn’t Depend on Other Nutrients: Unlike non-heme iron, it’s not as affected by inhibitors like phytates (in grains/legumes) or enhancers like vitamin C.

Supports Hemoglobin & Myoglobin: Critical for oxygen transport and muscular energy production—especially important during training or fat adaptation.

Optimal Daily Intake

Men & Postmenopausal Women: 8 mg/day

Premenopausal Women: 18 mg/day

Athletes or Fatigued Individuals may need more, especially if eating low-carb or carnivore where iron metabolism shifts with adaptation.

If you're eating beef liver, chicken liver, or red meat daily, you're likely getting ample heme iron, but overloading without balance (especially with copper and zinc) can cause issues, so it's good to track symptoms and balance nutrients.