Iron Supplements & Vitamin C

Too little iron in your diet can lead to iron deficiency or anemia. Certain people are more at risk of iron deficiency, including pregnant women or those who have recently given birth, menstruating women, people with gastrointestinal conditions, people who have bleeding, such as an ulcer, in the intestine, vegetarians and runners. Those affected may, under doctor's orders, need to take an iron supplement. Increase your vitamin C intake when taking iron supplements. Consult your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet or beginning a new supplementation regimen.

Functions of Iron

Iron is essential for healthy circulation. It is mostly found in the hemoglobin in the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. This oxygen travels to various tissues. Iron is also found in myoglobin, which provides oxygen for the muscles. This circulation of oxygen is essential for good health; gross deficiency may affect quality of life.

Symptoms

Iron deficiency can affect the body in many ways. The simplest way to check for iron deficiency is to inspect the gums, the nails and inside the eyes. Deficiency will result in a paler color --- serious deficiency may cause the gums or inner eyelids to become pale pink. The Mayo Clinic lists fatigue, low energy, weakness, shortness of breath, irritability and soreness of the tongue as possible symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.

Treatment

It is a good idea to try to replenish iron levels with an iron-rich diet, but often, when iron stores have been depleted, you may need a supplement. The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that 50 to 60 milligrams of iron per 300-mg tablet, taken orally twice daily for three months, is the usual prescribed dose of iron supplements. This is an average figure; dosage may vary from person to person, depending on condition.

Sources of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is available in a supplement, but you can usually get adequate levels through diet. Oranges, grapefruits, broccoli, tomatoes and strawberries are all good sources of vitamin C, according to the University of Illinois' McKinley Health Center. Fruit juices or foods fortified with vitamin C may also be good sources of vitamin C.

Why Take Both?

Vitamin C increases your body's absorption of iron. This is particularly true when eaten with non-heme iron, the type of iron found in fruits and vegetables, as opposed to heme iron, which is found in meat. However, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention explain, vitamin C aids the absorption of non-heme iron when the sources of each are eaten in the same meal. Vitamin C may not aid the absorption of iron supplements, but will be helpful to anyone who is holistically treating an iron deficiency through diet and supplementation.