Iron is an essential mineral with 3 Key Roles:

1. Oxygen transport: Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of the body

2. Immune system support: Iron helps strengthen our immune system so we can fight off infections

3. Energy production: Iron helps our body unpack energy from the food we eat

• You feel tired or lethargic

• You’re often irritable or grumpy

• You may get frequent infections

• You often feel the cold

• You find it hard to concentrate

If you have one or several of these signs and symptoms you may be low in iron. Make an appointment with your GP to get your iron stores checked.

Babies 7-12 months: 11 mg/day

Children 1-3 years: 9 mg/day

Children 4-8 years: 10 mg/day

Children 9-13 years: 8 mg/day

Girls 14-18 years: 15 mg/day

Boys 14-18 years: 11 mg/day

Women 19-50 years: 18 mg/day

Women > 50 years: 8 mg/day

Men > 19 years: 8 mg/day

Women during pregnancy: 27 mg/day

Women whilst breastfeeding: 9-10 mg/day

The recommended daily intake (RDI) listed above for iron is based on the fact that not all iron is absorbed.

Requirements are higher during periods of rapid growth, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Menstrual blood loss and regular intense exercise can also affect your iron levels.

• Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods every day to ensure you are eating a varied, balanced and healthy diet with plenty of whole foods.

• Eat a mix of animal and plant protein foods. Iron can be found in both animal and plant foods, but not all iron is created equal - our bodies absorb haem iron from animal sources better than non-haem iron from plants.

• Eat meat and vegetables together. Your body then absorbs 2-3 times more iron from the vegetables.

• Enjoy lean red meat up to three times a week. This provides haem iron that our body absorbs well.

• Think red for higher iron content. Red meats are generally richer in haem iron than chicken and fish; a common rule of thumb is the redder the meat, the higher the iron content.

• Add vitamin C foods to your meal to help iron absorption.

• Space out tea and coffee as the tannins in them can reduce how much iron you absorb.

• Plan meals carefully if you are at risk of low iron.

Iron is found in lots of foods. The body absorbs haem iron more easily, with 15-25% being used and absorbed compared to 5-12% for non-haem iron.

Haem iron foods: beef, lamb, liver, pork, venison, poultry and mussels

Non-haem iron foods: bread, breakfast cereals, beans and lentils, nuts, vegetables

• 40% of infants and 1 in 5 toddlers are consuming inadequate amounts of iron

• 14% of children under the age of 2 are iron deficient

• Over 1/3 of teenage girls don’t meet their daily iron requirements

• 1 in 14 New Zealand women are low in iron

• 15.6% of women aged 35-44 years have iron deficiency anaemia

Grant, CC et al. (2007). Population prevalence and risk factors for iron deficiency in Auckland, New Zealand. J Paediatric Child Health 43: 532-538.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including recommended dietary intakes: April, 2014.

New Zealand Food Composition Database 2021. New Zealand Food Composition Database Online Search. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited and Ministry of Health.

University of Otago & Ministry of Health. (2011). A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/2009 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

Wall, CR et al. (2008). Ethnic variance in iron status: is it related to dietary intake? Public Health Nutr 12 (9):1413-1421.