Facts about Iron¹

Linda B. Bobroff and Jennifer Hillan²

Why do we need iron?

Iron is a mineral that is found in every cell in the body. It's an important part of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all the cells. Our cells use oxygen to make energy from the food we eat. Iron also is needed to keep the immune system healthy and help brain cells work normally.

What happens if we don't get enough iron?

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. Severe iron deficiency can lead to one type of anemia. Iron deficiency can be caused by several factors, including:

not getting enough iron in the diet
not absorbing iron properly
losing blood from injury or illness

Without adequate iron, red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen to other cells in the body.

Signs of an iron deficiency include:

feeling tired
Infections
muscle weakness
inability to concentrate

How much iron do we need?

The following table lists recommended daily intakes of iron:

Table 1.

Recommended daily intakes of iron

Life Stage	Amount (mg/day)
Men, ages 19+	8*
Women, ages 19–50	18**
Women, ages 51+	8*
Pregnancy	27
Breastfeeding Ages 14–18 Ages 19–50	10 9
mg = milligrams vegetarians in this life stage need 14 mg/d *vegetarians in this life stage need 32 mg/d

How can we get enough iron?

Both animal and plant foods contain iron, but our bodies absorb the iron from meats and other foods from animals better than iron from plant foods.

To increase the amount of iron that is absorbed from plant foods, eat them with foods high in vitamin C or with meat, poultry, or fish. Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, peppers, and strawberries.

Here are some foods and the amount of iron they contain:

Table 2.

Food examples with iron amounts in mg/serving

Food	Iron (mg/serving)
Fortified cereal, 1 cup	5–30
Liverwurst, 2 ounces	6
Oysters, cooked, 6 medium	4
Baked beans, canned, 1 cup	4
Beef burrito, 1	3
Lean sirloin, broiled, 3 ounces	3
Wheat germ, ¼ cup	3
Prune juice, ¾ cup	2
Bean burrito, 1	2
Beef, lean ground, cooked, 3 ounces	2
Tofu, firm, 3½ ounces	1–3
mg = milligrams

What about supplements?

Some groups of people need iron supplements. These include pregnant women and persons with an iron deficiency. People who do not get enough iron from food may choose to take an iron supplement.

Be sure to keep supplements out of the reach of children because an overdose of iron can be fatal.

How much is too much?

Too much iron can be toxic to the body. It can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea. Over a long period of time, too much iron in the body can damage the liver. In addition, too much iron from supplements can reduce the amount of zinc that is absorbed.

You should not get more than 45 mg of iron per day from food and supplements.

Where can I get more information?

The Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agent at your local Extension office may have written information and nutrition classes for you to attend. Also, your doctor or a registered dietitian (RD) can provide reliable information.

Reliable nutrition information also may be found on the Internet at the following sites:

http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu

http://www.nutrition.gov

http://mayoclinic.com

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp

Footnotes

This document is FCS8704, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published: June 2001. Revised: April 2006, December 2010. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/.

Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, Foods and Nutrition, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Jennifer Hillan, MSH, RD, LD/N, former ENAFS nutrition educator/trainer, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.

Facts about Iron1