Do you feel exhausted all the time? If you do, you may have an iron deficiency. So, why does this happen? Well, sometimes our bodies can’t absorb enough of the iron they need, in order to help, we have to get our iron in a different form. In our list, we’ll have some of the best supplements for iron and also talk about various topics related to iron.
Iron is a mineral that helps our body function better. For example, it helps hemoglobin production. Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to all over the body. Also, iron is essential for hormone production.
You must know the most common symptoms of iron deficiency. First of all, the most common symptom is extreme fatigue; if you feel like you can’t even raise an arm, you might be suffering from iron deficiency. Besides that, some of the common symptoms are; having cold feet or hands, dizziness, paleness, and brittle nails.
Some people need to take their iron through supplementation. For example; vegans or vegetarians don’t consume enough food with iron because most animal products have the most iron. Besides them, women who go through heavy periods, infants, and people who have serious illnesses like cancer can be suffering from iron deficiency.
Some variants affect your daily iron need, such as age and gender. For adult men, only need 8 mg per day. However, women who range between the ages of 18 to 48 that menstruates need to have 18 mg daily.
Beware that, you should only start iron supplementation if your doctor recommends you.
Iron Supplements Is Good for?
Iron is an essential mineral for humans, and it’s found in red blood cells. There are lots of great benefits that iron provides; eliminating fatigue, improving the immune system, boosting hemoglobin, etc. However, even though it’s rare, iron overdoses are real. That’s exactly why you should talk to your doctor before starting iron supplementation.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of iron one by one;
1) Eliminates Fatigue
It doesn’t matter what’s your gender; when you are low in iron, your body won’t find enough energy to do anything. When you start to take iron through supplementation, you’ll feel much better than before.
As we’ve noted, women who menstruate need more iron. If they don’t get enough iron, they’ll feel exhausted throughout the day. For some people, this fatigue can last more than a couple of weeks and longer.
2) Improves Immunity
Iron helps the hemoglobin production, which carries oxygen to tissues, cells, and vital organs. Besides carrying oxygen, hemoglobin is essential to defend against diseases. If your hemoglobin production slows due to low iron levels, the immune system won’t function properly.
Also, if this continues, you may develop anemia which shows itself when hemoglobin production is low. There are various symptoms like; fatigue, paleness, cold hands, and feet, etc.
3) Repairs Muscle
Low hemoglobin production due to low iron can make your muscles fatigue faster. You need to have enough hemoglobin in your body to carry your muscles oxygen. If you continue not to have enough iron, your muscles won’t repair themselves, and this will cause pain.
Besides repairing muscles, it also helps your body to heal overall. When someone has an iron deficiency, their body will show signs of bruising.
4) Restoration of Sleep and Concentration
One of the benefits of iron is restoring sleep because there is a link between low iron and sleep problems such as restless sleep, insomnia, and apnea.
Also, due to iron deficiency, you may not be able to concentrate. Once you get your iron levels back to normal, you’ll be able to concentrate better, be more attentive and also improve your overall cognitive functions.
Side Effects of Iron Supplements
Yes, as we’ve mentioned there are lots of benefits to iron supplements. However, if you get more than your body can absorb, there are some side effects you should be aware of:
The most common side effect is constipation. When your body does not absorb iron, it will go and feed the bad pathogenic bacteria you have in your gut.
Besides that, you may have issues like nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, etc.
Adding to all of that, there are some rare symptoms to side effects of iron:
- Muscle or chest pain.
- Fever, headache.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fainting.
- Numbness.
If you want to learn more about this subject in-depth, check this article: “17 Risky and Important Side Effects of Iron Supplements”.
Iron Supplements Vs Food
Some foods can help your iron absorption, but keep in mind some foods can do the opposite. For example, drink coffee and tea as little as possible. Also, you should know that foods that are rich in calcium can halt your iron absorption.
So, how can we promote iron absorption? Take your iron sources with vitamin C sources like oranges, tomatoes, or kale.
These are some of the foods that are high in iron.
- Red meat, pork, poultry, and liver.
If you want to get 36% of your DV for iron, eating meat could be the best choice. Besides being rich in iron, it also has vitamin A, choline, and selenium.
For example; kidneys, brain, liver, and heart are quite high in iron. There is even research that suggests that iron deficiency is less likely to be seen in people who have animal products in their diet. (1)
- Seafood such as shellfish.
The majority of the seafood is quite high in iron such as shellfish, clams, oysters, and mussels.
Besides those, tuna is super high in iron. Also; haddock, sardines, and mackerel. As long as you got to fish in your diet, you probably won’t have problems with iron deficiency.
So, does this mean you have to have animal products in your diet to not suffer from iron deficiency? Nope, in fact, the rest of the foods we’ll be listing are only non-animal whole foods.
- Legumes.
Did you know that only 200 grams of cooked lentils can handle 37% of your DV for iron? Well, they do. Besides that, legumes are rich in magnesium, potassium, and of course fiber.
Also, fibrous foods can help you lose weight.
- Spinach and broccoli.
Spinach is full of iron and also a great source of vitamin C, which helps your body to absorb iron better.
- Dried fruits like raisins.
Besides helping you get your daily iron need, it will also help your bodily functions such as digestion.
- Seeds.
Especially pumpkin seeds are quite rich in iron.
- Quinoa.
Quinoa is a superfood that has zero gluten and full of protein, minerals, and antioxidants. Adding to all of that, it’s rich in iron as well.
- Tofu.
Vegans consider tofu as a stable in their diet, and we can’t agree more that they should because it provides 19% of the DV for iron per serving. Besides that, it’s full of protein and minerals that are vital for your bodily functions.
As you know, women who menstruate need more iron, and Tofu’s isoflavones source can help them.
Anyhow, even after you started eating iron-rich nutrients, that might be not enough. Due to that, you should take a look at iron supplements, and if your doctor approves your dosage, you should start taking iron supplements. Don’t ever take iron more than your body needs.
Best Supplements for Iron
All of the best supplements for iron in this list have different pros and cons. So, it’s up to you to choose one over another, depending on your needs.
Some have more iron per capsule, and some are easier on your stomach.
Let’s go through our list.
Our first iron supplement is for people who have more of a generalized iron deficiency problem. As you’ll see in our list, some iron supplements can be consumed better than others. Nevertheless, if your doctor approves Nature’s Bounty Iron supplement, you don’t have to spend more to get your problem fixed.
It contains dried ferrous sulfate 205 mg, vegetable cellulose, etc. Due to the content of this supplement, your hemoglobin production will return to its normal state.
Some people need to have a lot more iron per day compared to others. For those people, we can’t think of a better option than Nature made iron supplement. Per capsule, it has 65 mg of iron which is 361% of the daily value for iron. Also, this is one of the best supplements for iron absorption because of its iron with high solubility.
Adding to all of that, this product is verified by the United States Pharmacopeia, which means it got tested by a third-party organization for its; quality, purity, potency, and performance.
Easy Iron can stabilize hemoglobin levels by quickening your red blood cell production. After that stabilization, you’ll get back to your feet and be able to do your daily tasks easier.
One of the most common side effects of iron supplements is an upset stomach. Anyhow, Easy Iron has a combination of 28 mg iron Glycinate, 60 mg of Vitamin C, and B12 that will be gentle on your stomach.
This gluten-free iron supplement will eliminate fatigue without upsetting your stomach.
4) mykind Organics Plant Sourced Iron
Talking about gluten-free, if you want to get a plant-sourced iron supplement, myKind has made of the best supplements for iron.
This liquid iron supplement is sourced from over 35 plant sources and has 10 mg of iron per capsule. Thanks to its vitamin c, b6, and b12 content; your body will be able to absorb and utilize iron better without constipating.
Also, this USDA Organic certified iron supplement has no synthetic binders and fillers. It’s vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and tastes like Cranberry-lime!
5) Vitron-C High Potency Iron Supplement with Vitamin C
As we’ve mentioned in our article, vitamin C helps your body to consume iron better, and Vitron-C has 125 mg of added vitamin C.
Even though that should be enough for you to settle on Vitron-C, there is more! Also, it contains carbonyl iron that can help your absorption and lower the risk of constipation.
Adding to all of that, it’s gluten-free and vegan!
NOW Iron could be one of the best supplements for iron because all of their products are high-quality and affordable. This iron supplement has 18 mg of iron bisglycinate per capsule, and it’s certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Also, it’s certified non-GMO, kosher, and halal.
Conclusion
Some people don’t like supplements, and some think they can help you achieve superhuman-like powers. Both of those perspectives are wrong; supplements can only assist you depending on your goals, health issues, and dietary needs. They will help but don’t expect a huge boost because they can only do what claim.
For example, due to various factors, some people can suffer from iron deficiency. They’ll have problems with fatigue and have a hard time concentrating on what they’re doing. If you are one of those people, iron supplements are needed to stabilize your body’s functions.
Nevertheless, you shouldn’t replace supplements with a healthy iron-rich diet. Supplements can’t take the place of real food ever.
Before you go, let us know in the comments, have you used iron supplements before? If yes, what were the results?
Thank you for reading.
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