Limes 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 lime equals 67 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:
Limes, raw
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Iron In Limes
Limes do contain a bit of iron but their bigger contribution to your iron metabolism is that they are a high vitamin C food and vitamin C will help you absorb the iron in plant-based foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. These plant foods contain an iron inhibitor called phytic acid that reduce the amount of iron you can absorb from them. There are kitchen techniques you can use to reduce the phytic acid in your food that we touch upon on the iron rich foods tips page. However, vitamin C will also help you absorb more iron on top of any beneficial kitchen strategies you employ. Lime juice complements well many grain dishes to provide that vitamin C. You can also make a lime juice drink sweetened with a bit of iron-rich Rapadura sugar to improve your digestion of iron in your plant-based foods.
Fruit for the most part is not a good iron source but it can have a definite role in your absorption of iron. Fruit often is a good source of vitamin C and vitamin C can actually help you metabolize the iron in non-meat food items; limes are plentiful in vitamin C.
For instance, you may wish to combine tomatoes and green peppers with a grain-based main dish or with a bean-based dish to increase your absorption of the iron in your entire meal. A fresh strawberry dessert with your dinner would help as well because of the vitamins in the fruit. A glass of fruit juice is another a good move. Learn more about how these vitamin C fruits reduce the effect of iron inhibitors in your diet even though they have very little iron themselves.
For more information on the iron content of your favorite food, explore the search feature here at the iron rich foods website.