Daily Dose of Iron for Women

A meal consisting of spinach salad topped with grilled steak, tomatoes and beans is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and an essential mineral called iron. Iron plays many roles in the human body. It's involved in oxygen transport and participates in enzymatic reactions and cellular processes. A woman's daily iron requirement is considerably higher than a man's for several reasons.

Requirements

• An adult woman between the ages of 18 and 50 needs 18 milligrams of iron per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant women have a much higher recommended intake of 27 milligrams per day. Prenatal vitamins typically supply enough supplemental iron to cover a pregnant woman's increased blood volume.

Anemia

• The body uses iron to make hemoglobin -- a protein that transports oxygen through the blood stream. When your body has an insufficient supply of iron and your blood is unable to carry adequate amounts of oxygen, the condition is known as anemia or iron poor blood. Women are particularly susceptible to anemia due to blood loss through monthly menses. The symptoms of anemia include lethargy, shortness of breath, feeling cold, dizziness and irritability. Talk to your physician if you suspect you are anemic, particularly if you suffer from heavy periods.
• Food Sources

• While supplements may be necessary in some circumstances, food is the best source of iron. Seafood including clams, oysters and shrimp are particularly rich in iron. One 3-ounce serving of clams has a whopping 23.8 milligrams of iron. Organ and red meats are high in iron, but they are also heavy in fat. Heart healthy, vegetarian sources of the mineral include spinach, kidney beans, soybeans, lentils, tomato puree and prune juice. You can also buy fortified cereals such as cream of wheat.

Considerations

• Many vegetarian foods including cereal, beans, legumes, molasses, tomatoes and leafy greens contain non-heme iron, which is not well-absorbed by the body. Meat, poultry and seafood typically contain 40 percent heme iron and 60 percent non-heme iron. In order to enhance absorption, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends eating those foods with foods rich in vitamin C including red and green bell peppers, citrus fruits, guava, kiwi, strawberries and brussel sprouts.