If you're deficient in iron, it's often an indication of a condition known as iron deficiency anemia. As iron levels decrease in the blood, the body isn't able to produce hemoglobin, warns the Mayo Clinic, which impacts the transport of oxygen. This often leaves you feeling tired and looking pale. You may also begin to suffer from a shortness of breath, dizziness and a drop in body temperature along your outer extremities. The level of deficiency can dictate the way in which you can supplement your diet with iron.
Step 1
Talk to a health care provider, if you're suffering from an iron deficiency. Though your blood may contain low levels of iron due to your diet, it may also be a result of an underlying condition, advises the National Institutes of Health. Conditions like ulcers, peptic ulcer disease, Crohn's disease, celiac disease and cancer of the colon, stomach or esophagus can cause iron deficiencies.
Step 2
Supplement your diet with foods rich in iron. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can bring the level of iron in your body up to a healthy range through the foods you eat. Red meat, pork, chicken, turkey, seafood, eggs, legumes, peas, spinach, kale, chard, potatoes, tofu, soybeans, prunes, raisins and figs are just a few foods that are rich in iron.
Step 3
Take an iron supplement. The most common iron supplement is ferrous sulfate, notes the National Institutes of Health. The Mayo Clinic recommends 10mg for men and 10 to 15mg for women, but talk to your doctor about how much iron is needed to increase levels into a healthy range.
Step 4
Take a supplement of vitamin C. Though vitamin C alone won't treat an iron deficiency, it can increase the rate of absorption of iron supplements. Your health care provider may recommend taking vitamin C in conjunction with iron pills, maintains the Mayo Clinic.
Step 5
Use intravenous iron supplement to treat a deficiency, suggests the National Institutes of Health. This is typically an option for those individuals who are unable to take ferrous sulfate due to digestive reasons. It can be administer by injection or IV drip.
Tips and Warnings
- Both the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health agree that iron pills should be take on an empty stomach. However, it's quite possible for this type of supplement to cause an upset stomach, so it may be necessary to take these pills with food.
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