Nectarines contain .28 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 of nectarines equals 142 grams.
- 1 small nectarine equals 128 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:
Nectarines, raw
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Nectarine and Iron
Nectarines contain only a small amount of iron and, as a result, make very little contribution to an iron rich diet. There are other fruits that contain iron as you will note from our iron rich fruits page. Fruits as a class can also make an important contribution to iron metabolism because of their vitamin C content. High vitamin C fruit such as oranges, lemons, lime, and mango help improve the absorption of iron from grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, sources of non-heme iron that also contain iron inhibitors. The vitamin C counteracts those inhibitors to some degree and helps you absorb more iron.
Fruit as a food group is not a great source of iron but it does have a definite role in your body’s ability to metabolize iron. Fruit can often be packed with vitamin C, a vitamin that will help you metabolize the iron more completely in your plant-based foods; nectarines are a modest source of vitamin C.
As an example, you can include vine ripened tomatoes and green peppers with a whole grain entrée or with beans to increase your absorption of the iron in your whole meal. A fresh kiwi dessert with a meal would also help because of the fruit’s vitamin C content. A glass of fruit juice is another an excellent plan. Explore more about how these vitamin C fruits reduce the effect of iron inhibitors in your diet despite the fact that they contain little iron in themselves.
For more information on the iron content of your favorite foods, be sure to explore the large database on this website using its search function. Nectarines may not be a great source of iron, but there are many great foods that can contribute to an iron rich diet.