Your body needs the right amount of iron to work correctly. It's especially crucial for athletes, but not everybody gets enough. Should you take an iron supplement? Here's everything you need to know.
What Is Iron and What Does It Do?
Iron is a trace mineral that helps the body transport oxygen through the blood and muscles, create red blood cells, and release energy from cells.
It's the heme in hemoglobin, a compound in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body.[1] Iron is also in myoglobin, which moves oxygen into your muscles.
So, having high enough levels of iron is necessary to deliver oxygen to your whole body for energy.
How Much Iron Do You Need?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adult men (19-50 years old) is 8 milligrams. The RDA for adult women is 18 milligrams per day.[2] This difference is primarily due to monthly blood loss through menstruation in women. For this reason, the RDA for postmenopausal women is reduced to 8...
Source: Your Ultimate Guide To Iron Supplements
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