Lemon contain .60 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. Grams is a measure of weight. To put 100 grams in perspective, consider alternative measures for this food:
- 1 cup equals 212 grams.
- 1 lemon equals 58 grams.
In the category of fruit, we excluded dried fruit from the Top 10 list and include only fresh fruit. You can assume that if the fresh version made the top 10 list, so too would the dried version.The food tested for the particular graph below can be described more specifically as:
Lemons, raw, without peel
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Iron and Lemons
While lemons are not a great source of iron in themselves they do contribute in an important way to iron metabolism. Lemons are high in vitamin C and eating a high vitamin C food along with an iron rich plant-based food (e.g., grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds) will help you absorb more iron in your meal. Lemons are a great complement to grain dishes and are served commonly in African cuisine, in particular fermented lemon is integrated with many tasty African cuisines. Traditional African peoples may have known instinctively that the combination of lemons and pulses and grains were an iron rich combination.
As an alternative to eating lemon directly in the meal, consider a homemade lemonaid from fresh lemons sweetened with an iron rich sweetener such as rapadura.
Fruit as a food group is not a good iron source but it can have an important role in your ability to absorb iron. Fruit can often be packed with vitamin C and vitamin C can assist you in utilizing the iron in vegetarian foods; lemons are a superb source of vitamin C.
For instance, you may wish to include tomatoes and green peppers with a grain-based entrée or with legumes to improve your absorption of the iron in your entire meal. A raw kiwi dessert with a meal would also increase your iron metabolism because of the fruit’s content of vitamin C. A glass of fruit juice is also a great move. Learn more about how these vitamin C items reduce the impact of iron inhibitors in your meal even though they have little or virtually no iron in their own right.
Lemon is a great source of vitamin C as are other members of the citrus family. For more information on the iron content of your favorite foods, explore the iron rich foods site, especially the iron rich foods tips page.