The body needs iron to generate red blood cells, which can help to prevent anemia or iron deficiency anemia. Luckily, most people's diets provide more than enough iron to meet this need, especially those that consist of red meat, poultry or seafood. However, it is possible that your diet is not providing an adequate amount of this mineral, requiring you to turn to supplementation to improve the level in your body.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor. As indicated by the National Institutes of Health, the recommended dietary allowance for iron is based on your sex and age, but the Mayo Clinic takes this one step further, stating that your physical condition may also influence the amount of this mineral needed by the body. Talk to your doctor to ensure you are not taking to many milligrams through supplementation.
Step 2
Take the iron supplement on an empty stomach. The Mayo Clinic recommends taking iron supplements on an empty stomach, because it is the best way for this mineral to be absorbed by the body.
Step 3
Take the iron supplement with a glass of juice. The Mayo Clinic also advises taking an iron supplement with 8 oz. of fruit juice. Since iron is better absorbed with dietary sources of Vitamin C, consider taking with orange juice, or some other juice enriched with Vitamin C.
Step 4
Time your supplement around your meals. Make sure that enough time is taken between a meal and the ingestion of the iron supplement to ensure proper absorption. Try to take an iron supplement at least one hour prior to meals or two hours after a meal.
Tips and Warnings
- The Mayo Clinic recommends 10mg per day for teenage and adult males and 10mg to 15mg for teenage and adult females, unless you are currently pregnant. If pregnant, the milligrams are increased to 30. However, the National Institutes of Health suggest less iron for men, coming in at 8mg per day, and more for females, 18mg per day. The NIH also lowers the amount for pregnant women to 27mg per day. Ages between 14 and 18 require 11mg for males and 15mg for females.
- One reason you should talk to your doctor before using an iron supplement is that this mineral can create a toxicity in the body from ingesting too much.
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