Health Benefits of Iron

    • Oxygen

      Iron is critical to making red blood cells, which transport oxygen around the body.

    • Muscle Function

      Iron is found in myoglobin, a muscle protein. This diffuses oxygen through muscle cells, which is required for good contraction of the muscles.

    • Brain Function

      The brain uses about 20% of the oxygen in our bloodstream, so the more oxygen you have available, the better your brain is going to work!

    RDA

    How much Iron do I need?

    Females need about 14.8mg, Males 8.7mg per day.

    Women over 50 should reduce their intake to 8.7mg per day.

    Too Much

    Can I take too much Iron?

    If you're taking over 20mg of Iron per day, you might start to experience stomach pain, constipation and nausea.

    Very high doses, particularly in children, can be fatal. Keep any supplements locked away.

    Supplements

    Is getting Iron from supplements the same as getting Iron from food?

    Iron from plant-based foods is absorbed only half as well as Iron from meats.

    Consuming Vitamin C at the same time as Iron is going to increase the absorption speed, which make foods like Spinach and Goji Berries even better than their stats suggest.

    Natural Sources

    Top Sources of Iron (per serving)

    Here are some foods rich in Iron. (1μg is 0.001mg)