Getting Enough Iron
Topic Overview
How much dietary iron is recommended each day?
Men | Adult | 8 mg |
|---|---|---|
Women | Adult (age 50 and older) | 8 mg |
Adult (ages 19 to 50) | 18 mg | |
Pregnant | 27 mg | |
Lactating | 9 mg to 10 mg | |
Adolescents (ages 9 to 18) | Girls | 8 mg to 15 mg |
Boys | 8 mg to 11 mg | |
Children (birth to age 8) | Ages 4 to 8 | 10 mg |
Ages 1 to 3 | 7 mg | |
Infants (7 months to 1 year) | 11 mg | |
Infants (birth to 6 months) | 0.27 mg |
What foods are high in iron?
You can get iron from many foods. Beef and turkey are good sources of iron from meat or animal protein. Beans are good sources of iron from plants. Iron from meat is absorbed by your body more fully than iron from plants. Some foods can decrease the amount of iron that your body will absorb. But meat and vitamin C can help your body absorb more iron from plants. Ask your doctor or registered dietitian about how to be sure you are getting enough iron.
Iron-fortified foods include cereals.
Serving size | Iron (mg) | |
|---|---|---|
Beef (ground) | 3 oz | 2 mg |
Chicken | 3 oz | 1 mg |
Turkey | 3 oz | 1 mg– 2 mg |
Serving size | Iron (mg) | |
|---|---|---|
Beans (cooked or canned) | 1 cup | 1 mg– 5 mg |
Potato (baked) | 1 medium | 2 mg |
Raisins | 1 cup | 3 mg |
Spinach (cooked) | 1 cup | 6 mg |
Serving size | Iron (mg) | |
|---|---|---|
Cereals (iron-fortified, ready to eat) | 1 cup | 4 mg– 18 mg |
Oatmeal (instant) | 1 cup | 4 mg |
Rice (white, enriched) | 1 cup | 3 mg |
Current as of: September 8, 2021
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Rhonda O'Brien MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator
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