The calculated cost to obtain 25 mg of iron is provided in the last column along with the price per serving, price paid, and additional key ingredients and special dietary designations.
The full list of ingredients is available for each product by clicking on the word "Ingredients" in the first column. All the "Approved" products met their label claims for iron, met FDA labeling requirements, and, non-chewable and non-time-release tablets and caplets were shown to break apart properly.
Many of the products are designed for treating iron deficiency and, therefore, exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance RDA as well as the upper level UL of tolerable intake for iron.
Those exceeding the UL are footnoted alongside their Approval status. Under a physician's supervision it's acceptable to exceed these limits, because the potential consequences of untreated iron deficiency may be more severe than the potential.
To find retailers that sell some of the listed products click here. The UL for ages 14 and up is 45 mg per day. Unless otherwise noted, information about the products listed above is based on the samples purchased by ConsumerLab. Manufacturers may change ingredients and label information at any time, so be sure to check labels carefully when evaluating the products you use or buy.
If a product's ingredients differ from what is listed above, it may not necessarily be of the same quality as what was tested. The information contained in this report is based on the compilation and review of information from product labeling and analytic testing.
CL applies what it believes to be the most appropriate testing methods and standards. The information in this report does not reflect the opinion or recommendation of CL, its officers or employees. CL cannot assure the accuracy of information. Copyright ConsumerLab. Not to be reproduced, excerpted, or cited in any fashion without the express written permission of ConsumerLab. To Treat Iron Deficiency and Anemia Traditionally, a typical recommended adult dosage for correcting iron-deficiency anemia has been to mg daily, divided into two or three separate doses, with the specific recommended dose depending on the severity of the anemia and weight of the individual.
However, in September , the British Society of Gastroenterology revised its guidelines, recommending only 50 to mg of iron taken once daily on an empty stomach to correct iron deficiency. This change was based on clinical evidence showing that a single mg dose of iron increased levels of hepcidin, a protein that blocks the absorption of iron from subsequent doses.
Consequently, absorption of iron from a single mg daily dose was found to be similar to two mg doses taken the same day.
For people with significant gastrointestinal disturbance to oral iron replacement therapy, the British Society of Gastroenterology recommends switching to prescription-only ferric maltol Accrufer , following alternate day iron therapy, or receiving parenteral i.
It does not recommend switching to a different iron salt form e. About two months' time is usually required to restore hemoglobin levels. Many more months of iron supplementation may be required to fully build up iron stores. A dose of 80 mg of iron from ferrous sulfate given as a time-release pill daily for 12 weeks has been used to treat unexplained fatigue in women who are not anemic but have low ferritin levels Vaucher, CMAJ Some experts recommended taking iron along with vitamin C to boost iron absorption.
This recommendation stemmed from preliminary research showing that vitamin C can boost iron absorption from a single meal. However, other research found that iron absorption from a complete diet i. The study in China among people average age 38 with iron deficiency anemia found that those taking mg of iron as ferrous succinate three times daily after a meal increased levels of hemoglobin an iron-containing protein in the blood that carries oxygen and is low in people with iron deficiency at two-week follow-up by about the same amount as those taking each dose of iron along with mg of vitamin C.
Also, at eight-weeks follow-up, blood levels of ferritin a storage form of iron in the blood , as well as iron levels in the blood, increased by about the same amount whether or not iron had been taken with vitamin C Li, JAMA Netw Open Based on this evidence, the British Society of Gastroenterology does not recommend taking vitamin C along with iron Snook, Gut To Prevent Anemia The daily recommended intake of iron for healthy individuals depends on your gender and life stage.
Most people are able to meet the requirement from their diet, from foods such as meat, poultry, and fish, as well as from dried fruits, grains, and green leafy vegetables.
Bear in mind that iron from plant sources is absorbed half as well as that from animal sources. Consequently, vegetarians who exclude all animal products from their diets may need almost twice as much dietary iron each day as non-vegetarians.
Vegetarians should consider consuming plant sources of iron along with a good source of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, to improve the absorption of iron from these foods.
It then decreases to 8 mg for children ages 9 to For males ages 14 to 18, the RDA is 11 mg; 19 and older, it decreases to 8 mg. For females, ages 14 to 18, the RDA is 15 mg; 19 to 50, it's 18 mg, decreasing to 8 mg ages 51 and older. Because of fetal needs, the RDA for pregnant women is 27 mg. For breast-feeding women younger than age 18, the RDA is 10 mg; ages 19 and older, it's 9 mg. Also, postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy should consume more iron because the therapy can cause periodic uterine bleeding.
Oral contraceptives may reduce menstrual blood loss, so women taking them may need less daily iron. However, this is based on an average and may not be appropriate for you, so use the RDAs above.
When reading labels, remember that 1, mcg micrograms equals 1 mg milligram and that 1, mg equals 1 gram. For Other Uses see What It Does section for clinical information To improve cognitive function in non-anemic, iron deficient adolescent girls, mg of iron as mg of ferrous sulfate given twice daily has been used Bruner, Lancet To speed the recovery of hemoglobin and ferritin levels after blood donation , To inhibit dry cough associated with ACE inhibitors , To treat ADHD in children aged 5 to 8 who are not anemic, 80 mg of iron daily given as ferrous sulfate has been used Konafal, Pediatr Neurol Upper limit -- Don't take too much!
High daily amounts of iron can cause gastrointestinal distress, especially when iron supplements are consumed on an empty stomach, and there are additional risks with long-term use of high-dose iron see Concerns and Cautions. However, these limits may be too high for people with hereditary hemochromatosis who are at unique risk for accumulating harmful levels of iron.
Be aware that labels are unlikely to provide information indicating whether the ingredients exceed tolerable intake levels -- the FDA doesn't require that information. The actual amount of usable "elemental" iron per milligram of iron compound varies depending on the form. Put another way, to get 50 mg of iron, you could take about mg of ferrous sulfate or about mg of ferrous gluconate.
Fortunately, the consumer doesn't need to do the calculations -- the manufacturer does this. The usable amount or iron elemental iron is what appears in the Supplement Facts panel on the label. Generally, the least expensive forms of iron are ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, and ferrous gluconate. If you have trouble tolerating these forms of iron due to gastrointestinal discomfort, consider ferrous bisglycinate, ferrous glycinate, or iron amino acid chelates.
Timed-release iron supplements may also reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, but there is some concern that they reduce iron absorption. Some supplements contain heme-iron polypeptide or HIP , which appears to be better absorbed than iron salts, such as ferrous sulfate. This was shown in a study in which both HIP and ferrous sulfate were taken with breakfast although the food ingested may have interfered with ferrous sulfate absorption.
Preliminary evidence suggests that HIP may also be better tolerated than ferrous sulfate Seligman, Nutrition Research The absorption of PIC is about the same as ferrous sulfate, but it is apparently tasteless and odorless and may cause less gastric irritation. Researchers had expected the opposite.
Preliminary research has shown that taking lactoferrin a protein in milk with iron may help prevent sports anemia a form of iron-deficiency anemia in athletes better than taking iron-only supplements.
One study in Japan among female long-distance runners found that taking tablets providing 1. Research has also shown that lactoferrin may help treat iron-deficiency anemia in women and children. The iron content of this lactoferrin supplement was not described by the researchers, but information on the manufacturer's website suggests that each mg dose of MamyVital provides about 31 mg of iron.
A similar product available in the U. Note: This product has not been reviewed by ConsumerLab. A study in Kenya among 25 infants average age 4 months , most of whom were iron deficient, found that eating maize porridge fortified with 1.
However, eating a meal fortified with lactoferrin as holo -lactoferrin a form of lactoferrin that is saturated with iron increased iron levels only as effectively as eating the meal fortified with iron as ferrous sulfate, suggesting no added benefit Mikulic, J Nutr Holo-lactoferrin is not the form of lactoferrin included in most lactoferrin supplements available in the U. For more information about lactoferrin, particularly its effects on the immune system, see our answer to the question: What is lactoferrin and will it really strengthen my immune system?
Another form, carbonyl iron , may present a reduced risk of harm in an accidental overdose. Carbonyl iron, consequently, is the ingredient many children's supplements contain and may be preferred by parents of small children.
However, carbonyl iron requires adequate stomach acid for absorption. Therefore, it should be taken with food and not used with medications that reduce stomach acid. Injectable iron also is available under the supervision of a health professional.
Taking iron supplements with food may also help avoid gastric upset, although it may also decrease iron absorption. Some experts suggest taking iron with a vitamin C-rich food to boost iron absorption and offset this effect. In fact, some iron supplements contain vitamin C as an added ingredient to aid absorption, but some research suggests that it may not make a difference.
Constipation can be a side-effect of oral iron supplementation, especially when taken in higher doses Fei, Clinical Correlations Ferrous and ferrous salts ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumarate and ferrous glycinate sulfate have been found to have similar incidence of constipation when compared in a clinical study Hallberg, Acta Med Scand Suppl However, heme iron polypeptides, carbonyl iron, iron amino-acid chelates, and PIC may have a lower incidence of gastrointestinal side-effects than ferrous or ferric salts NIH Iron Fact Sheet Iron protein succinylate has also been found to have a slightly lower incidence of constipation and less gastric irritation.
Long term, it may result in somewhat greater improvement in iron measurements in the body than ferrous sulfate Liquori, Int J Pharmacol Ther Toxicol Rarely, severe constipation due to iron supplementation may interfere with the intestine's ability to properly contract to move waste through the body , leading to bowel obstruction, as was reported in a year-old women one week after she began taking iron pills to treat iron deficiency anemia.
What to avoid when taking Remember that many antacids can decrease iron absorption, and the dose and duration of use of certain antacids may increase the risk of iron deficiency. Learn more about the Persona brand here. This supplement is organic, vegetarian, and kosher.
It is free from gluten, dairy, sugar , GMOs, artificial flavors and colors, and synthetic fillers. This liquid supplement has naturally added vitamins. This includes vitamin B12 , which some research suggests may help improve the production of healthy red blood cells.
This iron supplement is vegetarian and free from dairy, lactose, alcohol, GMOs, preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavorings. The company recommends that adults take 10 milliliters twice daily, ideally 30 minutes before a meal.
This supplement comes in gummy form, which may be better for people who find it difficult to swallow tablet supplements or who need motivation to take supplements.
The company recommends a serving size of 2 gummy supplements per day. Two gummies contain 30 milligrams mg of ferrous fumarate, which is equal to 10 mg of elemental iron. These capsules may suit athletes, as they have the National Sanitation Foundation International certification for sport.
This means that the supplements do not contain substances that sporting organizations ban or disallow. This supplement is free from soy, gluten, dairy, and artificial flavors. It is formulated to prevent digestive discomfort. Learn about what vitamins and minerals athletes need here. It is unlikely that taking iron supplements will lead to any unwanted health effects unless a person is ingesting more than the daily recommended intake of iron. When this occurs, a person may experience :.
It is also possible for an individual to have too much dietary iron in their body. This can lead to conditions such as iron overload disorder and iron poisoning. Anyone who suspects that they may have either condition should seek medical advice.
Healthcare professionals will only recommend taking supplemental iron if a person has low iron levels. People with normal iron levels should not take supplemental iron. If a person thinks that they may have iron deficiency or be at risk of developing it, they should contact a doctor.
Healthcare professionals tend to recommend iron supplements to restore healthy iron levels. They will also recommend that people get extra iron during pregnancy.
This is due to increased dietary needs. Most prenatal vitamins contain extra iron. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional. Forbes Health adheres to strict editorial integrity standards.
To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team. Health body. Advertiser Disclosure. By Sarah Berger. Commissions we earn from partner links on this page do not affect our opinions or evaluations. Our editorial content is based on thorough research and guidance from the Forbes Health Advisory Board.
Best Iron Supplements of Pure Encapsulations Iron-C. Buy Now. On Amazon. Amount of iron per serving. Recommended by. Taylor Wallace. Why We Picked It. Amazon Elements Iron. Affordable No artificial colors or chemical preservatives Vegan and gluten-free. Solgar Gentle Iron.
Toby Amidor. Provides a patented form of iron designed to be gentler on the stomach and non-constipating Non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan Kosher and halaal. Nina Kolbe. Includes milligrams of vitamin C to aid in iron absorption No artificial colors or flavors Gluten-free. This article discusses how much iron you may need based on different factors. Iron is an essential mineral, but ingesting too much can cause severe harm.
This is a detailed review of the harmful effects of too much iron. Low iron levels can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including tiredness, poor concentration, and frequent bouts of illness. This article…. If you're not getting enough iron, you may develop iron-deficiency anemia. Here are 10 signs and symptoms that you're deficient in iron. Iron is essential for good health, but many people are deficient in it.
The foods you eat can influence how much iron your body ends up absorbing. When your child stops breastfeeding or switches to solid foods, they might not be eating enough iron-rich foods. This can put them at risk for iron…. Some claim that coffee and other caffeinated beverages can interfere with iron absorption. This article explains how coffee and caffeine affect iron….
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