Surveys for populations in eight European countries have shown average iron intakes of 15 mg/day in men, and about 12 mg/day in women (23).
National surveys in the U.S. indicate that the average dietary iron intake is 16–18 mg/day in men, 12 mg/day in pre- and postmenopausal women, and about 15 mg/day in pregnant women (11). Thus, the majority of premenopausal and pregnant women in the U.S. consume less than the RDA for iron and many men consume more than the RDA.
