Iron - deficiency anemia is the most common type of this disease and occurs when one doesn’t have enough iron which causes there to be a lack of red blood cells in the body. Iron makes something called hemoglobin, which is a part of a red blood cell. Hemoglobin delivers oxygen throughout the body and without it, one becomes very fatigued and weak easily. So how much iron do you need a day?
Life Stage Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months 0.27 mg
Infants 7-12 months 11 mg
Children 1-3 years 7 mg
Children 4-8 years 10mg
Children 9-13 years 8 mg
Teen boys 14-18 years 11 mg
Teen girls 14-18 years 15 mg
Adult men 19-50 years 8 mg
Adult women 19-50 years 18 mg
Adult 51 years and older 8 mg
Pregnant teens 27 mg
Pregnant women 27 mg
Breastfeeding teens 10 mg
Breastfeeding women 9 mg
As shown in the chart, pregnant women and teens need to include much more iron in their diets than the average person, so if you fall into these categories, make sure that there is enough iron in your diet. Without the right amount of oxygen in your body, your organs are at risk of being damaged and your heart will work too hard to compensate for the lack of oxygen.
FOOD SOURCES OF IRON:
Fortified breakfast cereals (18 milligrams per serving)
Oysters (8 milligrams per 3-ounce serving)
Canned white beans (8 milligrams per cup)
Dark chocolate (7 milligrams per 3-ounce serving)
Beef liver (5 milligrams per 3-ounce serving)
Spinach (3 milligrams per ½ cup)
Tofu, firm (3 milligrams per ½ cup)
Kidney beans (2 milligrams per ½ cup)
Canned tomatoes (2 milligrams per ½ cup)
Lean beef (2 milligrams for a 3-ounce serving)
Baked potato (2 milligrams for a medium potato
Note :
If you are looking for more ways to include iron in your diet, check out Sophie Umansky’s post from last week that include lot's of healthy and delicious ways to get your daily iron intake!
Sources:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/ - NIH
https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/iron-deficiency-anemia - Office on Women’s Health