Iron Calculator
Daily iron target: 8-18 mg depending on sex and age. Oxygen transport.
Iron at a glance
The page is written for people who log their food: the iron target sits next to your diary totals in the same units your food entries use, so you can see how close today came without extra math.
Daily iron target: 8-18 mg depending on sex and age. Oxygen transport.
This page works the target the other way around: instead of quoting a population average, the Iron asks for your age and body weight, then scales the reference guidance to your own circumstances. The calculation itself is deliberately transparent: the reference target for your sex and life stage is read from the values stated above, then adjusted with the age-band factors built into this page's script, so you can check every step by hand.
About Iron Calculator
Daily iron target: 8-18 mg depending on sex and age. Oxygen transport.
This calculator uses the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) to determine your personalized daily target. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) represents the intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of 97-98% of healthy individuals. For nutrients without enough evidence to establish an RDA, an Adequate Intake (AI) is provided instead.
Food sources
The best way to meet your nutrient needs is through a varied, whole-food diet. Supplementation should only be considered when dietary intake is inadequate or when a deficiency has been confirmed by a healthcare provider.
Deficiency and toxicity
Both insufficient and excessive intake can cause health problems. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) represents the highest intake likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Always discuss supplementation with your healthcare provider.
When to supplement
Supplementation may be warranted for: restrictive diets (vegan, low-calorie), malabsorption conditions, pregnancy, older adults, and confirmed deficiencies. However, food-first is always the preferred approach, supplements cannot replicate the full matrix of nutrients and bioactive compounds found in whole foods.
Formula sources, population limits, and references for this vitamin and mineral calculator are documented in our public methodology. Read the methodology · Medical disclaimer