Am I getting enough iron?

I worry about iron. Several years ago I was turned away at the blood donation center after an initial pinprick revealed insufficient iron. And several full-on vegan friends suffer from anemia. 

So let's dig into it.

1. How much iron do I actually need? According to the NIH, as a 50+ year old female, I only need 8 mg of iron per day. Just 8! Note that younger women will need much more, especially if pregnant. And note that men of all ages really don't need all that much. Here's the source: 

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Iron [5]

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	0.27 mg*	0.27 mg*
7–12 months	11 mg	11 mg
1–3 years	7 mg	7 mg
4–8 years	10 mg	10 mg
9–13 years	8 mg	8 mg
14–18 years	11 mg	15 mg	27 mg	10 mg
19–50 years	8 mg	18 mg	27 mg	9 mg
51+ years	8 mg	8 mg

2. Am I getting enough iron? Ya know, despite my worries, I think I am on the whole! My go-to steel cut oats with ground flax have 2+ mg of iron. And my beloved fake cheese and tomato sandwich has 1.4-2 mg depending on thin or thick bread. Beans add on 2+ mg and my potato also comes in around 2. Also about 2 mg in my daily muffin allotment lol. So for me, I think I'm okay. But if you're a younger female, please do your own math to make sure you're getting enough. You might have to put in a more deliberate effort to meet your RDA.