Iron on a plant-based diet: absorption, sources and supplements

Do vegans get enough iron?

Usually yes, once you understand how plant iron works. Many people assume a plant-based diet is low in iron, when the picture is more specific than that. Plants carry a form called non-haem iron, and your body absorbs a smaller share of it than it does the haem iron in meat. So a vegan may take in plenty of iron on paper and absorb less of it in practice. So the practical approach is to eat iron-rich plants regularly and use the simple habits that lift how much of that iron your body takes up. There is no need to fear iron or to reach straight for a supplement.

Where plant iron comes from

There is more of it about than people expect. Lentils, chickpeas and beans, tofu and tempeh, wholegrains, dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, and dried fruit such as apricots all carry useful iron. Spread them across most days instead of leaning on a single big meal. Build a few of these into most days and the raw intake is rarely the problem. The absorption is the part worth managing.

How to absorb more of it

This is where a plant-based diet wins back most of the difference, and it costs nothing.

• Add a source of vitamin C to iron-rich meals. A squeeze of lemon on lentils, peppers in a stir-fry, or fruit alongside a fortified cereal all help your body take up the iron. This is why our iron includes vitamin C.
• Keep tea and coffee away from those meals. Both contain compounds that bind iron and cut absorption. Leave an hour either side.
• Do not take a calcium supplement or a large dairy-alternative dose fortified with calcium at the same time as your main iron meal, since calcium competes with iron for absorption.

Do you actually need a supplement?

If a blood test has not shown you are low, you may not need an iron supplement at all, and taking one without a reason is not a good idea. Too much iron is harmful, and some people have conditions where iron supplements are the wrong move entirely. So the order is: eat the plant sources well, use the absorption habits, and if you have reason to think you are low, get a blood test before supplementing. Menstruating women and anyone eating a limited diet are the most likely to run low.

The gentle form, if you need it

If a test does point to low iron, the form makes the experience a great deal easier. Standard iron salts have a reputation for constipation and nausea. Our gentle iron uses ferrous bisglycinate at 25 mg, a chelated form chosen for tolerability, with 50 mg of vitamin C already included to help it absorb. We explain why bisglycinate is gentler on the dedicated iron bisglycinate page. The best iron is the one you can keep taking without discomfort.