Iron in Eggs

When most people think of iron-rich foods, their minds immediately go to red meats and spinach. While these are all great sources, did you know iron is also found in a variety of everyday foods — like eggs! 

Iron is an essential mineral, needed daily to keep our energy levels high. Let's look at the amount and type of iron in eggs and learn how you can use this superfood to help you meet your iron needs every day.

Why Do We Need Iron?

Iron is a mineral that’s required daily in the diet for the following reasons:

• It carries oxygen around the bloodstream.
• It is needed for the body to store oxygen in the muscles where it helps with energy release.
• It is needed for immunity.
• It is required for growth.
• It is needed for energy production in the body.
• It plays a role in optimal mental health.

How Much Iron Is in Eggs?

One serving of eggs (2x 60g eggs) provides 1.7mg of iron, which represents 14% of the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for adults and 17.5% for children aged 9-13 years.

Iron Deficiency

What happens if you don't have enough iron?

If your body doesn’t get enough iron, you could be at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia; a condition where the body has lower than normal levels of healthy blood cells. Without enough iron, your body is unable to produce hemoglobin, a substance that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. With this key process affected, those with an iron deficiency often experience:

• Extreme tiredness/fatigue
• Weakness
• Cold extremities
• Headache or light-headedness
• Cravings for non-nutritive substances (e.g. ice or starch)
• Shortness of breath
• Possible chest pain

Where Does Iron Come From?

Iron in food exists in two different forms: heme and non-heme. As a general rule, heme iron is found mainly in animal foods while non-heme iron is found in plant foods and in some animal-derived foods, including eggs. One of the main differences between the two forms is that heme iron is generally more readily absorbed by the body.

Sources of heme iron include lean red meat, mussels, oysters and chicken, while non-heme iron is found in foods like dark green vegetables, wheat germ, dried fruit, oats, nuts, wholemeal bread, legumes, cocoa powder and eggs.

What Type of Iron Do Eggs Contain?

Eggs contain non-heme iron, with most of the iron found in the yolk.

New Australian research investigating the form of iron present in eggs found that it exists primarily in non-heme forms within the yolk. 

How Much Iron Is Absorbed From Eggs?

So eggs are a source of iron, great! But how bioavailable is the iron in eggs?

When it comes to the absorption of iron into the body, around 3.7–5% of the iron found in eggs is absorbed into the bloodstream. This may sound low, however, non-heme iron generally has lower and more variable absorption regardless of the food source.

Red meat, for example, is often considered a good source of iron in the diet. Our bodies absorb anywhere between 10–37% of the total iron content in a serving of red meat, with the amount dependent on a person’s iron status and overall diet.

The difference in iron absorption between meat and eggs is partly due to the egg yolk containing a naturally occurring protein called phosvitin, which binds iron strongly and can reduce the amount absorbed. However, because eggs are typically eaten cooked and as a whole food, the way iron is bound within the egg may change during cooking, which could help improve iron bioavailability.

One way to increase iron absorption from eggs is to consume a rich source of vitamin C along with your eggs. Good examples include drinking a glass of orange juice with boiled eggs or eating tomatoes and capsicum with fried eggs on toast.

Emerging Research

Cooking method may play a role in iron absorption too.

Early findings suggest that mixing the yolk and white together before cooking, like in scrambled eggs or an omelette, may change the iron in a way that makes it easier for the body to absorb, compared to methods that keep the yolk and white separate, like a fried or boiled egg.

This hasn't been directly tested yet, so it's one to watch as more research comes through.