Daily Iron Intake Calculator
NIH-recommended daily iron intake by age, sex, and pregnancy status.
A general population guideline (NIH RDA), not medical advice — iron deficiency and iron overload are both real conditions best diagnosed with a blood test, not self-assessed from a calculator.
Recommended daily iron
18 mg
NIH RDA guideline
For informational and educational purposes only — not medical advice, and not a substitute for consulting a qualified professional about your specific situation. TrueMeasureKit is not liable for decisions made based on these results. See our Terms of Service.
Why women's requirement is more than double men's
Iron is lost through blood, so menstruation gives women of reproductive age a substantially higher requirement than men of the same age — 18mg versus 8mg per day. That gap closes after menopause, when the recommendation drops back to 8mg for both sexes. Pregnancy raises the requirement further still, to 27mg, to support the roughly 50% increase in blood volume and the iron needs of the developing fetus.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the recommended iron intake so much higher for some groups?
Menstruating women need significantly more iron than men to offset regular blood loss, and pregnancy further increases the requirement to support increased blood volume and fetal development — which is why this calculator asks for age, sex, and pregnancy status.
Can I get too much iron?
Yes — excess iron intake, especially from supplements, can be harmful and in some cases dangerous, particularly for people with hemochromatosis. This calculator shows the recommended target, not a safe upper limit; consult a doctor before supplementing.