Which of the following pulses has the highest iron content?

Appeared in: SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

Soybean has the highest iron content among the listed options, containing approximately 10.4 mg of iron per 100 grams.
In addition to iron, soybean is an exceptionally rich source of protein (about 40-43%), making it a highly nutritious legume.
Pulses are a primary source of non-heme iron, which is crucial for preventing iron-deficiency anemia, particularly in vegetarian diets prevalent in India.

Option A: Bengal gram (chana) contains approximately 4.6 mg of iron per 100g. While it is a good source of iron, its content is less than half that of soybean.
Option B: Red gram (arhar/toor dal) has the lowest iron content among the given options, with about 2.7 mg of iron per 100g.
Option C: Black gram (urad dal) contains about 3.8 mg of iron per 100g. This is significantly lower than the iron content found in soybean.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional value of pulses, specifically iron content as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a vital role in dietary counseling for patients with iron-deficiency anemia. Knowing the iron content of common foods helps in providing practical and effective advice.
In India, where a large portion of the population is vegetarian, knowledge of plant-based iron sources is critical for public health education and patient care.
It is important to educate patients that iron from plant sources (non-heme) is poorly absorbed. Nurses should teach strategies to improve absorption, such as combining iron-rich foods with Vitamin C sources.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is to compare the 'iron content' among different 'pulses' and find the 'highest'.
This is a factual recall question that relies on knowledge of nutrition.
Recall the approximate nutritional values for the common pulses listed: Bengal gram (chana), Red gram (arhar), Black gram (urad), and Soybean.
Compare the iron values for each. Soybean is known to be exceptionally high in both protein and minerals, including iron, compared to other common dals.
Based on this comparison, select Soybean as the pulse with the highest iron content.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 162-164

E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 169-171

Practise the full SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2016

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.