In plain words
Iron comes in two forms in food. comes from animal foods such as meat, poultry, and fish. Non-heme iron comes from plants, eggs, and , and it is also the form in most iron supplements. The body absorbs non-heme iron less efficiently than heme iron. How much is absorbed also depends on what else is eaten at the same time. Vitamin C in a meal can help. Tea, coffee, calcium, and some grains can reduce absorption. Pregnancy raises the body's need for iron, so the difference matters. Mothers may hear about non-heme iron when a provider talks about anemia or about iron-rich food choices.
The deeper version
Non-heme iron is predominantly ferric, is reduced to ferrous iron by duodenal cytochrome B (Dcytb), and is transported across the apical enterocyte membrane by divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). Ascorbic acid enhances uptake through reduction and chelation. Phytates, polyphenols in tea and coffee, and calcium inhibit absorption. Heme iron absorption is less variable, at roughly 15 to 35 percent, while non-heme absorption ranges more widely and is typically 2 to 20 percent depending on iron status and meal composition (Hallberg 1981; Hurrell and Egli 2010). , the liver-derived regulator, controls export and is the major systemic determinant of absorption.
Where it comes up
- Iron-rich foods and how to absorb themPregnancy: Eating
- Low iron and anemiaPregnancy: Your Body
- Blood-building foods after birthNourishment and Traditions
- What to eat in pregnancy: the short versionPregnancy: Eating
What mothers here say about non-heme iron
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Sources
- Hurrell R, Egli I — Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010
- World Health Organization — Guideline: daily iron and folic acid supplementation in pregnant women, 2012