Pears contain .17 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 small pear equals 148 grams.
- 1 medium pear equals 177 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:
Pears, raw
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Iron in Pears
Pears provide a small amount of iron in the diet. One small pear will provide over one percent of the daily iron required by a woman ages twenty to fifty. There are other fruits higher in iron as presented in the graph above. Also note the iron rich fruit analysis on this website that describes the contribution of fruit to an iron rich diet. The most notable contribution of fruit is the vitamin C that fruit provides to the diet. Vitamin C is an iron enhancer which means that it enhances your body’s ability to absorb iron from your other foods. To some degree, vitamin C can counteract iron inhibitors such as phytic acid and improve your digestion of iron. Citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, and lime are stand-outs for vitamin C. Berries and mango have great vitamin C content as well.
Fruit as a food group is not a great source of iron but it does play a definite role in your iron metabolism. Fruit can often be high in vitamin C and vitamin C can help you use the iron more completely in vegetarian foods; pears are a poor source of vitamin C.
However, for instance you may wish to include peppers and tomatoes with a grain-based salad or with beans to increase your absorption of the iron in your whole meal. A raw mango dessert with your dinner would help as well because of the fruit’s vitamin content. A glass of fruit juice is another an excellent plan. Learn more about how these vitamin C foods reduce the impact of foods that inhibit iron in your food even though they have very little iron in their own right.
To explore the iron content of your favorite foods, use the search function on this website to discover the iron profile of thousands of foods.