Every vegan has heard some version of it. “I had to start eating animals again because I couldn’t get enough iron.”
Sometimes this develops into something much more dramatic: “My body can’t absorb iron from plants.”
At which point you could be forgiven for wondering whether there is a mysterious medical condition that turns otherwise ordinary humans into vampires.
There are genuine medical conditions that cause iron deficiency. There are genuine conditions that affect absorption. There are people who need more iron than others. But none of that is the same as having a medical requirement to obtain iron from another animal’s body.
Those are very different claims.
Plants Have Iron
Iron is essential because our bodies use it to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, and myoglobin, which stores oxygen in muscles.
Animal tissue contains haem iron. Plants contain non-haem iron.
The second type is sometimes treated as though it barely counts, but plant foods can provide substantial amounts of iron. Good sources include lentils, tofu, tempeh, beans, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, tahini, quinoa, wholegrains, fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruit, peas and dark green leafy vegetables.
For perspective, a 120 gram serving of cooked green or brown lentils can provide around 4.2 mg of iron. A typical 100 gram serving of tofu provides around 3.5 mg. Some fortified cereals provide considerably more.
The recommended daily amount for adult men is 8.7 mg. For women aged 19 to 50 it is 14.8 mg, falling to 8.7 mg after 50.
Your Body Is Not Stupid
The usual comeback is that haem iron is absorbed better. True. But that leaves out an important part of the story.
Our bodies regulate iron absorption.
When iron stores are low, more iron can be absorbed. When stores are full, absorption decreases. Non-haem iron is particularly responsive to this regulation.
A controlled trial published in 2025 provides an interesting example. Researchers gave vegans and non-vegans pistachios as a source of non-haem iron and measured their blood iron afterwards. The vegans actually showed a significantly greater increase in serum iron at 120 minutes and a significantly greater overall iron response.They also had lower levels of hepcidin, a hormone that restricts iron absorption. The researchers suggested that people accustomed to obtaining their iron from plants may develop physiological adaptations that improve their ability to absorb non-haem iron. It was a small study, so nobody should pretend it proves every vegan absorbs plant iron better than every flesh eater. But it certainly makes “humans just can’t absorb plant iron properly” look rather silly. Our bodies appear to be considerably more adaptable than the vampire theory allows.
You Can Help Absorption Too
There are simple ways to increase the amount of iron you absorb.
Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-haem iron, so combine iron-rich foods with foods such as peppers, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi, strawberries, oranges or other vitamin-C-rich fruit and vegetables. Think lentil curry with peppers. Beans with vegetables. Fortified cereal with fruit.
Tea and coffee can reduce iron absorption, so if iron is a concern, having them away from meals can help.
Phytates in wholegrains, pulses and seeds can also reduce absorption, although soaking, sprouting and fermentation can reduce their effects. Wholegrain foods may still provide plenty of iron because they contain considerably more of it than refined alternatives.
This is nutrition. It is not sorcery.
What If You Really Are Iron Deficient?
Iron deficiency is real.
Heavy periods can substantially increase iron requirements. Gastrointestinal problems, blood loss and conditions affecting absorption can make maintaining healthy iron levels more difficult.
Those things should be taken seriously.
But “I have iron deficiency” and “therefore I need to eat animals” are not interchangeable statements. If someone cannot obtain enough iron through food, iron supplements exist. People with heavy menstrual losses, for example, may need supplementation rather than simply trying to cram increasingly large quantities of iron-rich food into every meal. And in more serious circumstances, medicine can provide iron directly, including intravenously.
If your body needs iron, the medically relevant substance is iron. Not a cow. Not a pig. Not somebody else’s blood.
Get Tested, Not Spooked
If you are unusually tired, weak, cold, struggling to concentrate or concerned about iron deficiency, speak to your doctor and get your levels checked rather than diagnosing yourself through TikTok comments. There may be an underlying reason for low iron that actually needs investigating. And if your levels are low, deal with the deficiency properly.
Eat iron-rich foods. Include vitamin C. Be sensible about tea and coffee around meals. Supplement if medically appropriate. Get professional advice when you need it. But we should stop turning “I had low iron” into the much grander claim that the human body has some mysterious biological need to consume animals.
Some people need more iron. Some people need supplements. Some people may need medical treatment. So far, nobody has been diagnosed as a vampire.