Training & Nutrition - Whats the deal with Iron?

So whats the deal with Iron? Why do men's supplement's have no Iron in them? I understand and read that Men, compared to women, dont need a lot of Iron, but then I also read that American's consume the most dairy, and dairy inhibits the absorbation of Iron. And that a lot of Americans have iron deficiencies. So.. I'm pretty confused... should I buy multi-vitamins suited for men which contain no iron, or just get regular multi-vitamins??

eat a steak, money better spent than on over-hyped supplements.

Heme iron is much more readily absorbed by humans than the non-heme iron in grains etc

So whats the deal with Iron? Why do men's supplement's have no Iron in them? I understand and read that Men, compared to women, dont need a lot of Iron, but then I also read that American's consume the most dairy, and dairy inhibits the absorbation of Iron. And that a lot of Americans have iron deficiencies. So.. I'm pretty confused... should I buy multi-vitamins suited for men which contain no iron, or just get regular multi-vitamins??

Men don't have periods and lose a bunch of iron every month. You should stick with the iron free multivitamin because the risks from too much iron far outweigh any risk from iron deficiency.

However, you should still choose Iron rich foods often, as the risk of overdosing on these is extremely small due to both availability and nutrient interactions (as you alluded to already). The RDA for Iron is 10mg/day but athletes should generally shoot for 18mg/day with additional antioxidants, as iron in a high oxidization state (+3) is harmful.

eat a steak,


Great with eggs and chips

and a Duvel