Iron is an important component of blood. You can get iron from foods such as meat, eggs and dark leafy greens, but not everyone can get enough iron this way. If you don't have enough iron in your blood, you are anemic and your doctor may prescribe iron supplements. Menstruating women and pregnant women particularly need more iron in their diet. Taking iron supplements with vitamin C can help your body absorb the iron more readily and give you the maximum benefit from iron pills.
How Vitamin C Helps
Iron comes in two forms, heme and non-heme iron. The word heme is taken from hemoglobin and it's the iron in blood. You'll find heme iron in red meat. Non-heme iron is the type of iron in vegetables, fish, eggs and milk. Vitamin C causes chemical changes in non-heme iron, adding an electron to the iron molecules and making them easier for your body to absorb. Vitamin C also raises the acid level in your stomach, helping to dissolve the iron pills and make more of the iron available to your body.
Iron Requirements
Pregnant women need 27 mg of iron a day, while adult women who aren't pregnant need 18 mg. Adult men and men and women over age 50 need 8 mg of iron daily. Between the ages of seven and 12 months, infants need 11 mg of iron daily. Boys and girls need 7 mg daily through the age of three, then between ages four through eight they need 10 mg and from ages nine through 13 they need 8 mg daily. Boys 14 to 18 need 11 mg, while girls this age need 15 mg.
Too Much Vitamin C
You don't need more than 100 mg of vitamin C a day to provide all your daily requirements and help you absorb iron. Taking too much vitamin C could actually be harmful. In 2001, researchers at the University of Florida studied athletes who took 700 mg of vitamin C after muscle injuries. Initially, researchers thought the vitamin C would promote healing, but they found instead that the excess vitamin C caused the body to release iron molecules in a kind of oxidation effect similar to rust.
Considerations
Consult your doctor to determine the appropriate iron supplement and amount of vitamin C for you. Some people experience stomach upset or constipation when they take iron supplements. Taking your iron and vitamin C with food will help prevent the stomach upset. Adding fiber to your diet can help with constipation. If one type of supplement bothers you, you can try a different type of supplement if your doctor agrees.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet --- Iron
- FamilyDoctor.org; Anemia --- When Low Iron is the Cause; September 2010
- University of Florida News; Too Much Vitamin C Can Cause "Rust" in the Body, UF Study Shows; Kristin Harmel; September 2001
- Ohio State University Extension; Chow Line --- Vitamin C and Iron are Great Partners; Martha Filipic; May 2003
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