Pineapple contains .25 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 164 grams.
- 1 slice equals 174 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:
Pineapple, raw, traditional varieties
Read more about iron in fruit or visit our iron-rich foods list.
Pineapple And Your Iron Status
Pineapple is not an iron rich food, but it can contribute in an important way to your iron status. Pineapple is a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin C will actually help you absorb iron from non-meat iron sources. Plant sources of iron such as grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes have inhibitors that reduce your absorption of iron. Vitamin C counteracts those inhibitors to some degree. For instance, if you are eating a hot breakfast cereal in the morning made with an iron rich grain, you should follow the instructions on this website for preparing grains strategically to reduce their mineral inhibitors (notably phytic acid). On top of that, eat that hot cereal along with a high Vitamin C food like pineapple (or enjoy pineapple as a complement to a legume- or grain-based entree for lunch or dinner) and pineapple will help improve your iron status.
Fruit on the whole is not a good iron source but it can have an important role in iron metabolism. Fruit can be packed with vitamin C which will help you metabolize the iron more completely in vegetarian foods; pineapple is a high source of vitamin C, with 47.8 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams of pineapple.
For instance, you may wish to combine bell peppers and vine ripened tomatoes with a grain-based entrée or with beans to improve your metabolism of the iron in your whole meal. A fresh orange dessert along with your meal would also help because of the fruit’s vitamin C content. A glass of fruit juice is also an effective move. Explore more about how these vitamin C items reduce the impact of iron inhibitors in your food despite the fact that they have little or virtually no iron themselves.
Read more about the iron content of your favorite foods on this website. Use the search function to find specific food. Do be sure to read our iron rich foods tips page.