Anemia comes up whenever there are not enough healthy red blood cells in the body.
All iron supplements treat anemia, but their absorption rates and side effects vary.
As a result, some supplement products may not contain the ingredients listed on the label.
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Whenchoosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such asNSF,U.S.
How Do Iron Supplements Help Anemia?
This helps treat and resolve thesymptoms of iron deficiency anemia.
Anemia affects mood, cognition, energy levels, and countless other bodily activities.
Symptoms of mild anemia include the following:
Symptoms become more severe as anemia worsens.
Symptoms of more severe anemia include the following:
How Long Do Iron Supplements Take to Work?
Generally, it takes two months of iron supplementation for serum levels to return to normal.
However, continued supplementation may be recommended to build up your bodys iron stores.
Even when iron levels return to normal, you may still need to retake supplements in the future.
Prioritizing iron-rich foods and periodically checking iron levels enables you to make better informed decisions about your supplement routine.
Who Should Consider Supplementation?
Specific factors increase the risk of iron deficiency and may affect its severity.
More severe iron deficiency likely requires higher supplement doses.
The blood test checks hemoglobin,hematocrit,meancorpuscularvolume (MCV)levels, transferrin, and ferritin.
Hematocrit reflects the proportion of red blood cells in the blood, and MCV measures red blood cell size.
Many supplements areferrousorferriciron salts.
Iron also attaches tocarbohydrates, amino acids, or other minerals to form supplements.
Iron carbohydrate supplements are in the ferric form.
Higher doses may cause nausea and vomiting.
However, too much iron can be toxic to your body.
Additionally, long-term supplementation can impact your bowel function.
Chronic constipation contributes to bloating and may affect appetite.
Difficulty with bowel movements, such as straining, pain, or even bleeding, can lead to hemorrhoids.
Persistent diarrhea affects electrolyte levels.
Only discontinue if your healthcare provider recommends it.
Adjust your diet to ensure youre consuming these foods at least an hour apart from your iron supplement.
Other factors, such as exercise and medication, affect iron absorption.
Exercise increases hepcidin levels, so taking iron after exercise may inhibit absorption.
Medications that interact with iron supplements include the following:
Take medication two hours apart from iron supplements.
Iron-Rich Foods vs. Iron Supplements for Anemia
Plant-based and animal foods contain iron.
Eating an iron-rich diet may help maintain iron levels, but supplementation is required to resolve deficiencies.
Heme vs. Non-Heme Iron
Two forms of iron exist:hemeand non-heme iron.
Animal products like meat, fish, and poultry contain a mix of heme and non-heme iron.
Approximately 40% of the iron in animal products is heme iron, whereas 60% is non-heme.
Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains contain only non-heme iron.
Iron Absorption From Food
The body absorbs heme iron more easily.
Still, iron has a low absorption rate from food.
Supplementssupplementthe diet, providing additional nutrients to support health.
Prioritizing aniron-rich dietalongside an iron supplement may be most effective for increasing nutrient stores and resolving deficiency.
Always defer to your healthcare provider about iron supplementation.
Summary
Supplements for anemia resolve iron deficiencies, improving health and physical functioning.
Multiple iron supplements exist, but some are more effective and gentler on the body.
Depending on your anemia’s severity, your healthcare provider will recommend a specific iron dosage to resolve it.
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