Men use essential iron the same way women do, to produce hemoglobin in red blood cells that help transport oxygen around your body and to keep you healthy and mobile. However, the dietary requirement for iron is lower for men than women, since men do not undergo the same routine blood loss as women do during menstruation. That said, men can usually meet their iron requirements through diet alone. However, in cases where dietary iron is lacking, men can consider taking iron supplements with careful planning.
Dietary Guidelines for Iron for Men
The recommended dietary guideline for iron for men age 19 and over is 8 mg per day. This is the amount of iron most men need to maintain a balance by compensating for iron loss. Men are naturally able to store more iron than women. About 90 percent of dietary iron is conserved, with the other 10 percent being excreted. The dietary guideline is set at 8 mg for men to make up for the amount that is excreted.
Iron Supplement and Risk for Iron Toxicity
Iron toxicity or iron overload can occur from excessive intake of elemental iron. The iron content of supplements varies. Symptoms of iron toxicity are known to occur when dietary intake is above 10 to 20 mg/kg of elemental iron. Because men are naturally more able to store iron than women, they should take precautions when consuming an iron supplement or multivitamin to be sure the amount of iron is below this threshold. Symptoms of iron overload includes stomach pain and ulcerations in the stomach lining.
Dietary Iron Sources
Food should be the first source of dietary iron, unless food is scarce or you are on a clear liquid diet or nutrition support, in which case a supplement may be recommended. High dietary sources of iron include cooked spinach, soybeans, pork and shellfish, including clams and oysters. Food sources of iron can be rich in iron-containing compounds but not elemental iron, which reduces the risk of iron overload.
Iron Dosage in Supplements
The iron dosage in a single unit of many over-the-counter supplements is typically between 50 mg to 100 mg iron. The amount of iron sold this way over-the-counter is generally safe to take once a day. This amount is below therapeutic levels of 6 mg to 10 mg/kg body weight that physicians use to treat iron deficiency anemia. Therapeutic doses of iron are generally only available by prescription, for safety reasons. Taking many dietary supplement pills at one time may provide too much iron, thus causing iron overload symptoms.
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