Which is the best source of absorbable iron?

• A. Beef
• B. Liver
• C. Spinach
• D. Corn

Answer: (B)

Iron comes in two forms: heme iron, found in animal foods, and non-heme iron, found in plants. The body absorbs heme iron much more efficiently, so foods rich in heme iron provide iron that your body can use more readily. Liver is exceptionally high in heme iron, so it delivers the most usable iron among these options. Beef also provides heme iron, but not at the same high level as liver, so its absorbable iron is less. Spinach has iron too, but it’s mostly non-heme iron and contains compounds that can reduce absorption, making it less usable. Corn has little iron and is non-heme, so its contribution is small. Because of the higher bioavailability of heme iron, liver is the best source of absorbable iron in this set.