USDA: Dark Chocolate Has More Iron than Beef

Jake Richardson of Care 2 has an interesting blog on the relative iron amounts found in dark chocolate and beef

According to the website, Nutritiondata.com, a one ounce serving of dark chocolate contains 19 percent of the US RDA for iron. Yet an ounce of beef sirloin only contains 3 percent.

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Data from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference shows: Chocolate, dark, 70-85 percent cacao solids, value per 100 grams is 11.90 milligrams of iron. Beef, bottom sirloin, tri-tip roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0″ fat, all grades, cooked, roasted, value per 100 grams is 1.66 milligrams of iron. Beef, ground, 70 percent lean meat / 30 percent fat, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned, value per 100 grams is 2.48 milligrams of iron. So these two information sources state that dark chocolate does contain more iron than some cuts of beef, and not just a little more. (I’m currently holding a dark chocolate bar and the wrapper says 100 grams is 3.5 ounces).

Now I’m not suggesting that anyone use dark chocolate as a staple, or primary source of iron…I just wanted to share an example (one of many) showing that beef is not the only source of iron, nor the highest source of iron, and that we may find there are many sources beyond what we have been told via messages in the mainstream media.

SOURCE: Care 2