However, you may be absorbing much less than that, even if your diet includes iron-rich foods. The most significant influence on iron absorption is the amount of iron already stored in your body.
The body stores iron in various places, including the liver. If your stores are high, your body absorbs less iron from the foods you eat. Conversely, low iron stores increase your ability to absorb iron. One in eight people aged two years and over does not consume enough iron on average to meet their needs. People who are at an increased risk of iron deficiency, include:. Learn more about iron deficiency in adults , and iron deficiency in children.
Iron status is easily checked by a blood test. Depending on your iron status, your doctor may advise you to take iron supplements. The body stores iron very efficiently and too much iron can be toxic. Excessive iron stores can lead to organ damage, especially of the liver, heart and pancreas. In some cases, iron taken in large amounts can even be fatal. Some symptoms of iron poisoning include fatigue and weakness, joint pain, weight loss and loss of body hair.
Haemochromatosis is a condition characterised by excessive iron stores. Some studies suggest that haemochromatosis increases the risk of heart disease and some cancers, such as colorectal cancer. Taking 17mg or less a day of iron supplements is unlikely to cause any harm. But continue taking a higher dose if advised to by a GP. Page last reviewed: 03 August Next review due: 03 August Iron is important in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.
Food or supplements: Which is better? November 09, November 04, October 31, October 30, October 29, Inspire Me. Better Me. Advise Me. Taking these supplements unnecessarily may also cause cell damage, and in severe cases, result in organ failure, coma, or death.
Negative side effects can occur in anyone, but appear especially fatal in children 1. Iron supplements can reverse sub-optimal iron levels. Make sure to get your iron levels checked beforehand, as taking them unnecessarily could harm your health. Getting your blood tested is one of the best ways to diagnose low iron levels or IDA, as the conditions can be difficult to diagnose based on symptoms alone.
One complementary approach is to consider how your dietary and supplemental iron intakes compare with the recommended iron intakes 1. To understand the importance of requesting certain blood tests over others, it may be useful to understand the three main stages of iron deficiency.
Low iron levels typically progress to IDA through these stages 1 :. Hemoglobin and hematocrit tests are commonly used to screen for iron deficiency.
Identifying the earlier stages of depletion is beneficial, as doing so allows you to address the problem immediately — be it through diet modifications or supplements — rather than letting it progress to IDA before taking action.
Serum ferritin is currently considered the most cost-effective and efficient test for diagnosing an iron deficiency, especially in its early stages. Those with no history of low iron levels may choose to get their levels tested once per year as a way to detect a potential iron deficiency in its early stages.
If taking iron supplements, improvements in hemoglobin may be noticeable within 4 weeks. However, it generally takes at least 3 months to completely replete hemoglobin levels and sometimes even longer to replete ferritin levels 7. Therefore, people currently taking supplements to treat an iron deficiency should wait at least 3 months after beginning treatment, if not slightly longer, before getting their hemoglobin and ferritin levels retested.
That said, a small proportion of people either do not respond to oral iron supplements or experience side effects.
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