Green kiwifruit contains .31 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 179 grams.
- 1 kiwi equals 68 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:
Kiwifruit, green, raw
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Kiwi and Your Iron Levels
Kiwi itself is not high in iron but it can contribute in important ways to your iron levels. Kiwi is high in Vitamin C. According to the USDA, one kiwi has about 70 milligrams of Vitamin C. As it turns out, Vitamin C will help you digest iron from non-meat sources of food. Plant-based sources of iron such as grains, beans, nuts, and seeds have iron inhibitors that keep you from absorbing all of the iron in those foods that you would otherwise expect to absorb. The food preparation techniques we advocate on this website go a long way to reducing those inhibitors and unlocking your iron. Vitamin C foods help as well. Eat your grains, beans, nuts, and seeds with foods like kiwi and you will absorb more iron in your meal. As a result, kiwi can improve your iron status even though it has little iron itself.
Fruit in general is not a great iron source but it can play a definite role in iron absorption. Fruit tends to be a great source of vitamin C and vitamin C can assist you in using the iron more completely in your vegetarian foods; green kiwifruit is a superb source of vitamin C.
For example, you can combine peppers and tomatoes with a whole grain entrée or with beans to increase your absorption of the iron in your whole meal. A raw cantaloupe dessert with your dinner would also help because of the fruit’s vitamin content. A glass of fruit juice is also an excellent strategy. Read more about how these vitamin C fruits reduce the impact of foods that inhibit iron in your meal despite the fact that they have very little iron in their own right.
Read more about the iron content of your favorite foods using our search tool. Be sure to read our iron rich foods tips page as well.