Taking Iron Supplements – What You Need to Know
There is a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrient supplements available for purchase in pharmacies, health food stores, supermarkets, and online. The options can seem overwhelming. Which ones should you take? How much should you take?
Among the most commonly known supplements are iron supplements. Here are some things you need to know about this nutrient, including when and how to take it.
What is Iron?
Iron is an essential mineral nutrient required by the body for optimal function.
It is used for:
Making haemoglobin, which red blood cells use to transport oxygen throughout the body. Haemoglobin represents as much as 67% of the total iron in the body.
Making myoglobin, which enables the muscles to store oxygen and maintain strength.
Maintaining healthy cells, hair, skin, and nails.
Maintaining and supporting optimal brain function.
Iron is accessible in the diet via lean red meat, chicken, fish, eggs, beans, fortified cereals and milk, fortified plant-based milk, dried fruit, leafy greens like spinach, legumes, organ meats (e.g., liver), and others.
The human body does not absorb plant-based (non-haem) iron as well as it does iron from meats (haem iron).
Iron Deficiency
If you don’t have enough iron in your body, you can’t effectively make and maintain enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to all of your tissues. This can result in iron deficiency anaemia.
Signs of iron deficiency anaemia include:
Fatigue and excessive tiredness
Lack of energy
Pale or sallow skin
Breathlessness
Fast heartbeat or palpitations
Headaches
Trouble concentrating
Cold hands/feet
Itching
Hair loss
Brittle or spoon-shaped nails
A sore tongue and/or mouth ulcers
Sores at the corner of the mouth
Low immunity – you get sick a lot
Restless legs
Premature birth if you are pregnant
Small birth-weight baby
In severe cases, difficulty swallowing
Most people only absorb 10% of the iron they consume. Iron deficiency anaemia (and anaemia from other causes) is diagnosable with a simple blood test. (Sometimes follow-up investigations may be needed).
Who Needs Iron Supplements?
You may require iron supplements if:
Your daily iron needs are not being met by your diet (e.g., you are vegetarian or vegan)
You are pregnant or breastfeeding
You donate blood regularly
You frequently exercise intensely (this can destroy red blood cells)
You are a woman who has very heavy periods
You take a lot of antacid medications (these can inhibit iron absorption)
You have a gastric ulcer (this can cause blood loss)
You have kidney issues or kidney failure and require dialysis
You have been medically diagnosed as having anaemia
You suffer from certain gastrointestinal disorders which can prevent normal iron absorption, including ulcerative colitis, Coeliac disease, or Crohn’s disease
You have cancer
You have heart failure
You are alcoholic
You have a blood or bone marrow disorder
You have undergone weight loss (bariatric) surgery
It’s strongly advised to have your iron levels checked before taking iron supplements.
What You Need to Know
The amount of iron you need differs depending on your age, biological sex, stage of life, and overall health. Infants and toddlers have higher iron needs due to the speed of growth and development at this stage. In childhood boys and girls require the same amount of iron (10mg daily from ages 4-8 and 8 mg daily from ages 9-13). From adolescence, females need more iron daily due to the menstrual cycle (from ages 18-50, 18mg daily compared with just 8mg for males). Iron levels are also higher for women during pregnancy. Following menopause, a woman’s daily iron requirements fall and return to the same level as for men (8mg daily).
While having too little iron can be harmful to your health, so too can taking too much iron. This is why you need to check with your doctor before taking a supplement and ensure you only ever take iron supplements according to the dosage instructions. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT – ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN.
While most people have no issues, iron supplements can cause side effects in some people. These may include nausea, vomiting, constipation, dark stools, or diarrhoea. This can be alleviated by adding fibre to your diet and taking your dosage with food.
Commence taking iron at a low dose and gradually increase to the daily recommended or medically prescribed amount.
Include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet, such as citrus, as vitamin C helps the body absorb dietary iron more effectively.
Iron supplements should not be taken with coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, wine or milk – these reduce iron absorption in the gut.
Some medicines interfere with iron absorption. Do not take iron tablets or liquids at the same time as antacids, calcium (milk or supplement form), antibiotics, and other medicines (your pharmacist can advise).
Get your iron levels rechecked after a few months of taking iron supplements.
Anyone diagnosed with haemochromatosis should never take an iron supplement.
Final Thought
While it’s true that taking iron supplements unnecessarily can be potentially harmful, working with your doctor to understand your need for supplementation and taking the right, high-quality iron supplement from a reputable supplier according to medical advice could be the answer to your iron deficiency and put you on track to feeling and functioning better. Get your iron levels tested and be guided by your doctor.
