Is Coffee High In Iron?

Coffee is not only low in iron, it has virtually no iron inside. That's true for whatever coffee type you prefer - regular, instant, espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha, etc.

How much iron is in coffee?

Typically, coffee has either no iron in it or the iron content is minuscule and not even worth mentioning. But coffee has a lot of antioxidants and some vitamins and minerals in small amounts.

Espresso can also be a decent source of magnesium, while instant coffee is a very poor source.

Can you get enough iron from coffee?

Coffee doesn’t contain any iron, which means you can’t get enough of this mineral from drinking this caffeinated beverage.

Even if you were to drink coffee with some added ingredients like cream, milk, or whipped cream, you still wouldn’t get enough of this important nutrient from coffee.

If you want to make your coffee slightly more helpful in preventing iron deficiency, you can try adding some cocoa powder to your beverage. Cocoa powder is a great source of iron. So, if you add some to your coffee, you can slightly increase your coffee’s iron content.

But still, make sure to consume a lot of other iron-rich foods, as just drinking coffee with cocoa powder won’t help you get enough of this mineral.

Nutritional Facts: Coffee (3.5 oz/100 g)

0 Calories
Caffeine 40 mg
Total Fat 0 g
Sodium 2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 0 g
- Dietary fiber 0 g
- Sugar 0 g
Potassium 49 mg 1% DV
Protein 0.1 g
Vitamin C 0% DV
Calcium 0% DV
Iron 0% DV
Vitamin B6 0% DV
Magnesium 0% DV

The recommended daily intake of iron for adult women is 18 mg. For adult men, that's only 8 mg. See more in the chart below.

Is coffee an iron blocker?

We now know that coffee contains polyphenols and tannins, which are thought to be major inhibitors of iron absorption. They bind with iron during digestion, making it more difficult to absorb.

The more polyphenols you consume, the more they can inhibit absorption. However, they are more likely to hinder the absorption of non-heme iron from plant-based foods and have very little effect on heme iron from animal foods.

Also, several studies concluded that coffee and caffeine aren't associated with iron deficiency in healthy individuals with no risk of iron deficiency.

This leads us to conclude that those at risk of iron deficiency should avoid drinking high amounts of coffee and caffeinated tea.

Is coffee good for anemia?

If you have anemia, you should probably avoid drinking coffee and caffeinated tea because they could potentially affect the absorption of non-heme iron found in plants and some animal products.

It's also best not to drink tea or coffee before, with, or shortly after meals. Opt for a drink high in vitamin C that will enhance iron absorption.

Is Cheese High In Iron? (A Full List of Cheeses)

Is instant coffee high in iron?

Instant coffee is the only type of coffee that's high in iron; on paper. When we look at 3.5 oz (100 g) of regular instant coffee, we see that it has 4.4 mg of iron. That's 24-55% of RDA.

However, you'll only drink a teaspoon or two at a time and that has less than 0.1 mg/tsp. So we come to see that even instant coffee isn't rich in iron, even though it has a significant amount of it per 100 grams.

Is decaffeinated coffee high in iron?

Decaffeinated coffee, the same as regular coffee, isn't rich in iron. It has almost no iron content and only some potassium and magnesium. For that reason, decaffeinated coffee isn't a good source of iron.

Is Broccoli High In Iron?

Is coffee with milk high in iron?

Since milk is also low in iron, drinking coffee with milk doesn’t help you load up on this mineral.

So, if your goal is to consume more iron each day, you might need to find some other iron-rich beverages to add to your diet instead of coffee.

With that being said, drinking coffee with milk doesn’t negatively impact how well your body absorbs iron.

If you absolutely can’t imagine your life without coffee, you can rest assured that drinking coffee doesn’t increase your risk of iron deficiency.

Is espresso coffee high in iron?

Espresso coffee isn't high in iron. It is high in caffeine, potassium, and magnesium though. And if you drink several cups per day, these small amounts can add up and even be a significant source of some minerals, and especially, antioxidants.

Is cappuccino high in iron?

Cappuccino isn't high in iron. One cup of cappuccino has only 0.04 mg of iron. That's less than one percent of RDA for both men and women. Cappuccino is also mostly made up of milk which also isn't high in iron.

Is latte high in iron?

Latte contains only about 0.1 mg of iron. This means that this type of coffee is still a poor choice for people trying to increase their iron intake.

Latte is also more caloric than plain coffee. In fact, it contains about 189 calories in a single serving, a lot of which come from fat and sugars.

On the bright side, latte contains a good dose of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, which are essential minerals for optimal health.

Is coffee substitute high in iron?

Coffee substitutes are often made with cereals or other grains. So, they tend to be more nutritious.

For example, one cup of a coffee substitute made with cereal grains contains 0.1 mg of iron.

This is also a very insignificant amount, though. So, it’s still important to consume a lot of iron-rich foods and beverages aside from this drink.

On the bright side, coffee substitutes tend to lack caffeine. So, if you want to decrease your intake of caffeine, choosing this beverage can be beneficial.

Plus, coffee substitutes made with cereal grains contain minerals like magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Still, these minerals are found in small quantities, but it’s beneficial to know that they do provide you with some.

Can you take in too much iron from coffee?

Because coffee isn't iron-rich, it's virtually impossible to take in too much iron from coffee. For example, you would need to drink coffee made of 100 grams of instant coffee to get 24-55% of recommended daily intake of iron.

Are Eggs High In Iron? (The Truth)

Recommended intakes for iron

Your recommended daily intake of iron depends on your age and sex. It was developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies.

RDAs for Iron
Age	Male	Female	Pregnant	Lactating
0-6 months	0.27 mg	0.27 mg
7-12 months	11 mg	11 mg
1-3 years	7 mg	7 mg
4-8 years	10 mg	10 mg
9-13 years	8 mg	8 mg
14-18 years	11 mg	15 mg	27 mg	10 mg
19-50 years	8 mg	18 mg	27 mg	9 mg
51+ years	8 mg	8 mg

RDAs for nonvegetarians. The RDAs for vegetarians are 1.8 times higher than for those who eat meat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mocha high in iron?

One cup of mocha contains the same iron as a cup of cappuccino. Neither are therefore high in iron and aren't a good source to boost your iron intake.

Is macchiato high in iron?

Macchiato, like other coffee types, isn't high in iron. In fact, it has almost negligible amounts of iron that don't contribute to your iron intake.

Is instant chicory coffee high in iron?

Chicory coffee is produced by roasting, grinding, and brewing the roots of chicory plant. However, chicory coffee also isn't high in iron, just like regular coffee.

Conclusion

Coffee doesn’t contain any iron, so it’s not a good beverage to drink if you want to up your intake of this mineral.

Luckily, you can still drink it, even with caffeine, without worrying about negatively impacting the absorption of iron in your body.

What’s more, many studies link coffee to several health benefits, including a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and neurological conditions. Brewed coffee also contains a lot of antioxidants, which are important for your health.

So, as long as you do so in moderation, you can safely drink coffee.

Sources: Nutrition Data, National Library of Medicine, and PMC