As for kids, those 1–3 years old need 7 mg per day, and the recommended amount rises to 10 mg per day for those 4–8 years old. It increases to 27 mg for pregnant women. The recommended daily amount of iron for adults is 8 mg for men and 18 mg for women. Lastly, be sure to consider the dosage and check for allergens. Third, check for high quality brands that use third-party quality testing, such as those certified by organizations like UL, USP, and NSF International. For instance, calcium is a strong iron intake inhibitor, whereas vitamin C is a potent enhancer ( 8). Second, you should look for added nutrients that may impair or promote iron absorption. These may have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than the ones above. You may also find other forms of iron, such as heme iron polypeptides (HIP), carbonyl iron, iron amino-acid chelates, and polysaccharide-iron complexes (PIC), as well as iron bound to yeast ( 1, 9). The most popular ones are ferrous and ferric iron salts, which include ferric sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate, and ferric citrate.ĭue to its higher solubility, ferrous iron tends to be more bioavailable than ferric iron, meaning that it’s more easily absorbed ( 1). There are a few factors you should take into account when choosing an iron supplement.įirst, there’s the type of iron. Here are the 13 best iron supplements for 2021. the presence of nutrients that may enhance or impair absorption.the type of iron and its bioavailability, meaning whether it’s easily absorbed.third-party testing and other quality certifications.This article examines iron supplements based on the following criteria: These populations typically include pregnant women, infants and kids, athletes, people with heavy menstrual bleeding, those with gastrointestinal disorders or cancer, and frequent blood donors.įortunately, there are plenty of iron supplements available that can help restore your iron stores. Thus, they may be at risk of iron deficiency, which may lead to fatigue, dizziness, and weakness, among other symptoms ( 2). Still, some populations may have inadequate iron intakes, impaired absorption, or increased iron needs. Some of the richest sources of iron include lean meats, seafood, nuts, beans, and leafy greens. Plants and iron-fortified products only contain non-heme iron, but animal food sources contain both forms of iron. Iron can be found as heme or non-heme iron. It’s also essential for brain cell development, physical growth, and hormone synthesis, and it supports muscle metabolism ( 1).
Iron is a mineral present in hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, and myoglobin, another protein that carries and stores oxygen for your muscles. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. We include products we think are useful for our readers.