Recommended Daily Iron Intake for Adult Men

Adult men should consume 8 mg of iron daily to maintain adequate iron status and prevent iron deficiency. 1

Iron Requirements for Men

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for iron in adult men and post-menopausal women is 8 mg/day, of which approximately 1 mg/day is absorbed to compensate for daily iron losses 1
Men store approximately 1.0-1.4 g of body iron, significantly more than women who store approximately 0.2-0.4 g 1
In adult men, approximately 95% of the iron required for red blood cell production is recycled from the breakdown of red blood cells, with only 5% coming from dietary sources 1
Men lose approximately 1 mg of iron daily through feces and desquamated mucosal and skin cells, which needs to be replaced through dietary intake 1

Iron absorption in men averages approximately 6%, compared to 13% for non-pregnant women in their childbearing years 1
Heme iron (found in meat, poultry, and fish) is two to three times more absorbable than non-heme iron (found in plant-based foods and iron-fortified foods) 1
Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, while polyphenols (in certain vegetables), tannins (in tea), phytates (in bran), and calcium (in dairy products) inhibit iron absorption 1
Tea is best consumed between meals rather than with meals to avoid interference with iron absorption 1

Principal nutritional sources of iron include lean meat, liver, seafood (heme iron), as well as nuts, beans, vegetables, and fortified grain products (non-heme iron) 1
Men can meet their iron requirements by consuming a balanced diet with adequate portions of iron-containing foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and beans 1
Fortified breakfast cereals significantly contribute to iron intake and can help meet daily requirements 2

Investigation of iron status should include a combination of tests: plasma iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, ferritin, CRP, hepcidin, and evaluation of red blood cell morphology 1
Serum ferritin is the preferred initial diagnostic test for assessing iron status 3
Full investigation of iron status should be performed in case of anemia or persistent major fatigue 1

Healthy adult men who take supplements containing iron at ≤3 times the recommended dietary allowance do not have significantly higher iron transport or stores than those who do not take supplements 4
However, intake of >32 mg Fe/day (>4x RDA) in men is associated with significantly higher mean iron transport concentrations and iron stores 4
Men should be cautious about iron supplementation as they are at higher risk of iron overload compared to women due to their naturally higher iron stores and lack of menstrual blood loss 1

In iron deficiency, iron should be delivered by oral or enteral route as it is well absorbed (about 300-600 μg/day) 1
In hemochromatosis and iron overload conditions, iron stores should be reduced by repeated venesection, and iron supplements should be avoided 1, 4
Regular blood donors may require additional iron intake to compensate for donation-related losses, with studies showing that 20 mg of elemental iron per day can adequately compensate for iron loss in males who donate up to six times per year 5