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Mineral

Iron

Iron is an essential mineral the body needs to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Also listed as Ferrochel

FertilityEnergyEssential HealthStress & MoodCardiovascular

Where does food fit?

Meat and seafood contain both heme and nonheme iron; plant foods contain nonheme iron. Vitamin C improves nonheme iron absorption. The NIH food table lists 8 mg in a cup of canned white beans, 3 mg in half a cup of boiled lentils, and 2 mg in 3 ounces (about 85 g) of cooked beef. These are food amounts, not the amount the body absorbs. 1

How much is recommended?

German DGE reference intakes for adults aged 25 to under 51 are 11 mg/day for men and 16 mg/day for premenopausal women; the pregnancy reference is 27 mg/day. These are total dietary intake targets, not treatment doses. DGE specifies 11 mg/day for women who do not menstruate, apart from pregnancy and the period after birth. 2

Sources

  1. Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements