A normal, healthy young adult woman loses an average of 2 mg/day of iron from the body. Approximately what minimum amount should she consume from the diet to prevent negative iron balance?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum amount of iron intake needed to prevent negative iron balance is based on the average daily loss of iron, which is 2 mg/day for a healthy young adult woman. Therefore, the minimum amount she should consume from the diet is 2 mg/day plus the amount needed to meet her daily iron requirements. The daily iron requirement for women is 18 mg/day, so the minimum amount she should consume from the diet is 2 mg/day + 18 mg/day = 20 mg/day. However, the bioavailability of iron from the diet varies depending on the source (heme vs non-heme) and other factors. Therefore, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for iron for adult women is 18 mg/day. This amount takes into account the bioavailability of iron from the diet and provides a safe margin to prevent negative iron balance. Option C, which is 11 mg/day, is the closest to the RDA and is therefore the best choice.

A Normal, Healthy Young Adult Woman Loses an Average of 2