7 Best Iron Supplements For 2023

Importance of Iron

To help you understand the importance of iron. Imagine that your body is like a big city, and Red blood cells (RBC) are like tiny delivery trucks, and their job is to pick up oxygen from your lungs and deliver it to every part of your body, like your muscles, heart, and brain.

Now, Iron is the fuel for these delivery trucks (RBC). It’s what makes them strong and able to carry lots of oxygen.

When the red blood cells pick up the oxygen from your lungs, iron helps them load up and drive around efficiently, making sure every part of your body gets the oxygen it needs.

Since Iron makes about 1/3 of hemoglobin (the protein in RBC responsible for transporting oxygen), Without iron, these delivery trucks wouldn’t work very well, and your body might feel tired and sluggish.

Fun fact: When you see red blood, you’re actually seeing the red color of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells.

• In a nutshell, iron is like the building material for hemoglobin, and hemoglobin is like the oxygen carrier in your blood, ensuring that oxygen gets to where it’s needed to keep you alive and active.

Iron Deficiency

It’s when red blood cells become smaller and contain less hemoglobin. As a result, blood carries less oxygen from the lungs throughout the body.

However, Iron deficiency doesn’t just happen. Iron deficiency progresses from depletion of iron stores to iron-deficiency ‘erythropoiesis’ (it’s the factory in the bones that makes red blood cells) and finally to iron deficiency anemia (IDA).

IDA is simply not having enough hemoglobin in your blood, and since hemoglobin is like the oxygen porter in your blood, having too little of it can make you feel tired and weak, and your blood is not as healthy because it’s thinner, smaller, and less red.

• In simpler terms, imagine your body is like a big team of workers, and they need a special tool called ‘iron’ to do their jobs. But sometimes, you don’t have enough of this ‘tool’, So your workers can’t do their work properly. That’s (IDA), it’s when your work team needs ‘more tools’ to do their jobs well, and when they get those tools (iron), you start feeling better and full of energy again.

Who Needs Iron Supplements?

Unless you’re eating iron-rich foods and giving your body its daily value, you don’t necessarily need it.

Your diet could contain Iron-rich foods like Lean Meat, Seafood, Beans, Nuts, Spinach, Fortified Cereals, Tofu, Dried Fruit, and Quino Broccoli.

Here’s a Fact Sheet by NIH that illustrates people with the highest risk of (IDA) :

• Pregnant Women: Pregnant women need extra iron for themselves and their tiny humans. The baby’s growth requires some serious iron supplies.
• Infants and Young Children: Babies, especially premature infants or those born to moms with low iron levels, need an extra dose of iron as they grow.
• Women with Heavy Periods: Ladies dealing with extremely heavy menstrual flows are like magicians, but instead of pulling rabbits out of hats, it’s their iron levels that mysteriously vanish each month.
• Frequent Blood Donors: Regular blood donation, while a noble act, can deplete iron stores, leading to iron deficiency in about 25% to 35% of frequent blood donors.
• People with Cancer: Certain cancers and treatments can be real energy-suckers. Iron deficiency is like an uninvited guest at a tough party.
• People with Digestive Disorders or Surgery: Conditions like celiac disease or gut surgeries can mess with your iron absorption. It’s like your body’s trying to pull a disappearing act on your iron.
• People with Heart Failure: Iron deficiency is common in individuals with chronic heart failure.

Though it’s always best to consult with a doctor to help identify if have (IDM), You may not fall in these groups but still need an iron supplement.

Dosages

Your daily iron requirements depend on your age and gender. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests these daily iron intake levels.

HOW MUCH IRON DO YOU NEED?
Birth to 6 months	0.27 milligrams
Infants 7-12 months	11 milligrams
Children 1-3 years	7 milligrams
Children 4-8 years	10 milligrams
Children 9-13 years	8 milligrams
Teen boys 14-18 years	11 milligrams
Teen girls 14-18 years	15 milligrams
Adult men 19-50 years	8 milligrams
Adult women 19-50 years	18 milligrams
Adults ages 51 and older	8 milligrams
Pregnant women	27 milligrams
Breastfeeding women	9 milligrams

Safety and Side Effects

Iron is likely safe for most people when used in appropriate doses. Set to a maximum intake level (UL) of 45 mg of elemental iron daily. However, with some people, It can cause side effects such as an upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting.

*Individuals with ‘hemochromatosis’, a genetic condition causing iron buildup, should avoid iron supplements.

Below is the utmost an individual consumes according to NIH and WebMD.

DAILY UPPER LIMITS OF IRON
Birth to 12 months	40 milligrams
Children 1-13 years	40 milligrams
Teens 14-18 years	45 milligrams
Adults 19 and up	45 milligrams

Conclusion

Iron deficiency is a serious matter that can lead to a range of health issues. Treating it will have you feeling more energetic, focused, and healthier overall. Otherwise, it will cause severe anemia or other range of health issues.

Friendly Reminder: It’s always best to check with your doctor on supplement choice and appropriate dosages. Of course, the earlier, the better.

If you have any questions or experiences, feel free to ask/share them with us; we’d love to hear about them.

I’ve listed 7 products that I hope you’ll find convenient and helpful. If by any chance you’re interested in Ashwagandha, I’ve listed them too.

Also, Here Are 10 Home Gym Brands That Could Help With Your Health And Wellness.