Heme iron plays an important role in carrying oxygen throughout the body. Such iron is called functional iron. Our body comprises approximately 60 trillion cells, and iron supplies oxygen to all of the cells, helping produce energy in cells.
Heme iron is found predominantly in blood and muscle, whereas non-heme iron is primarily found in plants, such as whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, and leafy greens. We used to think of heme iron as coming exclusively from animal products and non-heme iron as found only in plants, but that isn’t the case. The plant-based Impossible Burger contains heme iron derived from soybean plants, for example, and non-heme iron can be found in meat if the animal had consumed plant foods with non-heme iron.
