Frequently Asked Questions

1 - What is the recommended daily intake of iron?

Each day we absorb about 1-4mg of iron from our diet to replenish the iron that is lost from our bodies. The average Canadian diet contains between 10 and 20mg of which 5-10% is absorbed which is enough to cover our iron losses. Both men and women ages 50+: 9mg (Note: During pregnancy, iron requirements increase. During the second and third trimesters an additional 5mg and 10mg, respectively, of iron per day is required.)

2 - What foods are rich in iron?

Red meat and, to a lesser extent, poultry and fish contain heme iron, the form of iron most easily absorbed and utilized by the body. Other foods like dried beans, fortified cereals, some dried fruits (prunes, raisins, figs), molasses, green vegetables (especially dark, leafy greens like spinach) and cocoa are all rich in non-heme iron. Vitamin C promotes the absorption of non-heme forms of iron from the diet and eating foods rich in vitamin C along with an iron rich meal may enhance the absorption of iron.

3 - How much iron is typically found in multivitamin supplements?

Multivitamins may contain anywhere from 0-20 mg of iron depending on the particular brand and preparation. The amount of each vitamin or mineral contained in the product you choose is listed on the side of the bottle and iron is reported in milligrams. Health Canada recommends a daily intake of between 10-18mg of iron depending upon age and sex.

4 - Why do women generally have less body iron stores than men?

Our bodies are very efficient at maintaining iron levels and stores and very little iron is lost in a healthy individual. The body does have some obligatory iron loss due to exfoliation of cells from the skin and loss from the intestine, in urine, sweat and menstrual fluids as well as the iron required for growth. Women lose iron at a higher rate than men due to monthly bleeding (menstruation) which can slightly deplete the iron stores. These losses are generally replaced through dietary intake of foods rich in iron but some menstruating women may require iron supplementation to maintain an adequate iron balance. During pregnancy, women require additional iron in their diet or iron supplementation because iron is transferred to the fetus and placenta d uring the latter half of gestation. Iron supplementation is not required during early lactation because menstruation is unlikely to occur and the iron lost in milk is counterbalanced by an absence of menstrual losses.

5 - What is ferritin and what does a ferritin level indicate?

Ferritin is a protein that binds and stores iron in the body. The serum ferritin level is used by physicians to estimate the amount of iron stored in the body. For each microgram/liter of serum ferritin measured it is estimated that the body is storing 10mg of iron. The normal values of serum ferritin depend on both sex and age.

6 - How can folate or vitamin B12 deficiency cause anemia?

Each hemoglobin molecule is made up of chains of proteins (globin) that contain an iron rich portion called heme. Both folate and vitamin B12 are required to make the protein portion of hemoglobin. If the body is deficient in either, the production of g lobin decreases, leading to anemia. A poor dietary intake of folate is the most common cause of this type of anemia.

7 - What is the recommended daily intake of folate and vitamin B12?

The recommended daily intake of folate is 200 - 250ug varying slightly with age and sex; women require an extra 200ug per day during pregnancy. We require a daily intake of 1ug of vitamin B12 and women have an extra 0.2ug daily requirement of B12 during pregnancy.

8 - What foods are rich in folate and vitamin B12?

All foods of plant and animal origin contain folates: liver, leafy vegetables, fruit and yeast are especially good sources. Vitamin B12 is only found in meat and animal by-products and the main dietary sources are meat, liver, fish, eggs, milk, and milk p roducts. For the most part, only vegans (vegetarians who consume no animal products at all) are at risk of developing anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency.

9 - Can you have too much iron in your body?

Iron loading of tissues, also called hemachromatosis, can occur either from an inherited disorder or as a complication of repeated blood transfusions used in the treatment of certain anemias (each unit of blood contains approximately 220?ug of iron in the form of hemoglobin). Primary or Genetic Hemachromatosis results from excessive iron absorption and deposition of iron in organs throughout the body. Iron overload states are also seen in patients who require chronic blood transfusions and are u nable t o excrete the extra iron they receive in the blood products. Iron overload rarely occurs from excessive intake of iron medications or supplements. There are medications that can be used to excrete excessive body iron stores.