ABSTRACT
In adults, the amount of iron lost from the body is relatively small. In fact, iron losses from the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and urinary tract in an adult 70-kg male amount to about 1 mg daily
and in a 55-kg menstruating female to about 2 mg daily. Iron losses in post-menopausal women are assumed to equal those observed in men. The losses are generally unregulated, and total body iron stores are regulated by changes in the rate of intestinal iron absorption. The average iron intake in the U.S. and Europe is about 15 to 25 mg/day; iron absorption averages 0. 5 to 1 mg/day in men and 1 to 2 mg/day in women during their reproductive years. Thus, the amount of iron absorbed normally ranges from 3 to 6% of the total amount ingested.
