Dietary Reference Intakes: Iron

Special Note

[recommendations reflect elemental iron intake from all sources]

Info: vegetarians may require 1.8-fold greater iron intake as nonheme iron less bioavailable than heme iron

General Information

[salt form conversion]

324 mg ferrous fumarate = 106 mg elemental iron

240 mg ferrous gluconate = 27 mg elemental iron

325 mg ferrous sulfate = 65 mg elemental iron

[primary functions]

component of enzymes, cytochromes, myoglobin, hemoglobin

[selected sources]

animal sources (contain heme and nonheme iron): meat, poultry, seafood; plant sources (contain only nonheme iron): spices, legumes, spinach, raisins, molasses

Dietary Reference Intake

[0-6 mo]

0.27 mg/day; Info: total intake >40 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[7-11 mo]

11 mg/day; Info: total intake >40 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[1-3 yo]

7 mg/day; Info: total intake >40 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[4-8 yo]

10 mg/day; Info: total intake >40 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[9-13 yo]

8 mg/day; Info: incr. to 10.5 mg/day if menstruating; total intake >40 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[14-18 yo, females]

15 mg/day; Info: incr. to 27 mg/day if pregnant, decr. to 10 mg/day if breastfeeding; total intake >45 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[14-18 yo, males]

11 mg/day; Info: total intake >45 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[19-50 yo, females]

18 mg/day; Info: incr. to 27 mg/day if pregnant, decr. to 9 mg/day if breastfeeding; total intake >45 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[19 yo and older, males]

8 mg/day; Info: total intake >45 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects

[51 yo and older, females]

8 mg/day; Info: total intake >45 mg/day associated with incr. adverse effects