Beef (Lean)

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

Its iron absorbs well on its own — no vitamin C pairing needed.

Stage by stage

Intake (Dense muscle structure): Chewing breaks down its dense muscle protein structure.
Stomach (Protein digestion begins): Stomach acid and enzymes begin breaking down the protein.
Small intestine (Heme iron absorbed directly): Heme iron is absorbed through a different, more efficient pathway than the non-heme iron in plants — it doesn’t need vitamin C to help it along.
Blood cells & muscle (Haemoglobin & protein synthesis): Absorbed iron supports haemoglobin production; amino acids support muscle repair.

Timing

Lean cuts standard serving; doesn’t require pairing with vitamin C the way plant iron sources do.

Time to effect

Weeks: Regular intake contributes to iron and protein status.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Halal, Kosher.

Satiety

176 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Measured by Holt et al. (1995).

Environmental footprint

99.5 kg CO2e and 1451 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Beef (beef herd)" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £14 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Heme iron
Complete protein
Zinc
Vitamin B12

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 158.7
Protein: 26.9g
Carbohydrate: 0g
of which sugars: 0g
Fat: 5.6g
of which saturated: 1.6g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 54mg

Food vs. supplement

Heme iron from beef absorbs considerably more efficiently than the non-heme iron in plant foods or most supplements — typically 15–35% versus 2–20% — which is why iron-deficiency diets often emphasize small amounts of red meat over larger amounts of plant iron sources.

Kitchen tip

Cuts labeled "loin" or "round" are the leaner options if lower saturated fat is the goal.

Common myth

“All dietary iron needs vitamin C to absorb well.” In reality: That pairing specifically helps non-heme (plant) iron — heme iron from meat absorbs efficiently on its own through a separate pathway.