Iron Deficiency & Vitamin Supplements

Iron plays integral roles in many of the important processes in our bodies. Iron helps build healthy red blood cells so that oxygen can be transported to all of our body tissues. Iron is also a component of various proteins and enzymes and acts as an integral part of cell growth regulation. A deficiency in iron can inhibit oxygen delivery and cause several ill health effects.

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is the No. 1 nutritional deficiency in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 80 percent of people are deficient in iron, while 30 percent have iron deficiency anemia, which is a lack of healthy red blood cells due to low iron. Iron deficiency develops when you consistently do not meet your daily iron recommendation. When you do not take in enough iron, your body begins to pull the mineral from iron stores in your body, until they are eventually depleted. The deficiency develops gradually and, if left untreated, can lead to iron deficiency anemia.

Iron Recommendations

The Food and Nutrition Board provides recommendations for daily iron intake based on sex and age. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 require 18 mg of iron per day. This high amount of iron is intended to cover the iron loss that occurs during menstruation. Once a woman stops menstruating, which is usually around the age of 50, iron needs drop to 8 mg per day. Adult men should aim to consume 8 mg of iron every day. "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake notes that the iron needs of vegetarians are 1.8 times higher than those of non-vegetarians, however, because plant foods contain components that inhibit iron absorption.

Who Needs Supplements

People most likely to benefit from iron supplementation are those with an increased need for iron, those who do not absorb iron normally and those who lose more iron than others. This population includes pregnant women, teenage girls, women of childbearing age, people with gastrointestinal disorders and those with renal failure. Low birth weight infants and toddlers also have an increased need for iron.

Iron Supplementation

Supplemental iron is available in two forms: ferrous and ferric. Ferrous iron is the most easily absorbed form of supplemental iron so iron supplements should contain this form. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that non-pregnant adults who need iron supplements take 50 to 60 mg of ferrous iron per day. Iron supplementation should be spread out throughout the course of the day and taken with food.

Considerations

Iron exists in two forms: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron, which is found in animal food sources, is better absorbed than non-heme iron, which is found in plant foods and enriched grains. According to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake, only 10 to 15 percent of the iron you eat is actually absorbed by the body. Increasing your vitamin C intake and consuming non-heme iron with heme iron can increase the absorption of non-heme iron.