Answer Happy

The Canadian RNI (Recommended Nutritional Intake) of iron for women is listed as 18.2 mg per day. Ferrous gluconate, Fe (C6H1107)2 is often used as an iron supplement for those who do not get enough iron in their diet because it is relatively easy to absorb. Some iron- fortified breakfast cereals contain elemental iron metal as their source of iron. a) Calculate the number of moles of elemental iron, Fe, required by a woman, according to the RNI. b) What mass, in milligrams, of ferrous gluconate, would satisfy the RNI for iron? c) The term bioavailability refers to the extent that the body can absorb a certain vitamin or mineral supplement. There is evidence to suggest that elemental iron in the iron-fortified cereals is absorbed only to a small extent. If this is the case, should cereal manufacturers be allowed to add elemental iron at all? d) How could cereal manufacturers assure that the consumer absorbs an appropriate amount of iron? e) Would adding more iron be a good solution? Propose an alternative solution.