Iron
Also known as: Ferrous sulfate, Ferrous bisglycinate
Iron supports normal red-blood-cell function. It is commonly used when testing shows low iron. Taking iron without a need is discouraged because excess can be harmful. Talk to a professional and consider testing first.
Snapshot
What this page can tell you: Commonly discussed timing, food notes, caution categories, and an honest note on how much source review this entry still needs.
What it cannot: Whether this is appropriate for you personally, or that it treats, prevents, or cures any condition. Informational only — discuss with a clinician or pharmacist.
🕒 Timing
When: Morning
Food: Empty stomach
Sometimes taken on an empty stomach for absorption, or with food if it upsets the stomach. Vitamin C may help absorption; separate from calcium.
💊 Common use range
Varies — professional-guided mg elemental
Iron can be toxic in excess, especially for children. Use only with professional guidance and keep away from children.
Ranges are informational, not a recommended dose. Talk to a professional about what is right for you.
🤔 Worth considering?
Evidence vs. effort: Strong evidence relative to burden
Clearly useful for correcting a demonstrated deficiency, and iron status can be measured. Supplementing without a known need is commonly discouraged, can upset the stomach, and acute overdose is dangerous, especially for children. Worth confirming a need with a professional first.
A general summary, not a recommendation. Whether something fits your situation is worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
⚠️ Commonly noted interactions (supplements)
Often about absorption or timing rather than danger — separating doses is common. This list is not exhaustive.
🧭 Caution level
- Mineral spacing considerations
- Narrow margin — easy to exceed the upper limit at higher doses
- Higher caution if you take certain antibiotics (space doses apart)
- Higher caution if you take thyroid medication (space doses apart)
Caution level is an informational summary of commonly discussed caution categories and doses — not a safety rating, approval, or medical advice. Low caution does not mean safe for you.
🩺 Medication caution categories
- Certain antibiotics
- Thyroid medication
🏥 Surgery & procedure caution
Share iron use with your care team; iron status is relevant around surgery.
If you have a procedure scheduled, bring your full supplement list to your surgical and anesthesia team. Do not stop prescribed medication unless your clinician tells you to. Do not start or stop supplements based only on this app.
✅ Quality checklist
- Prefer products with third-party testing or a certificate of analysis (COA).
- Check the label for the exact form and the elemental or active amount per serving.
🧩 Commonly paired with
🔁 Alternatives
None listed.
🗣️ Questions for a professional
- Is Iron appropriate alongside my medications and health history?
- Is there a test or check that would tell us whether I actually need it?
🔬 Evidence snapshot
An essential mineral and a component of hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood. Supplementation is used to correct or prevent iron deficiency; routine high-dose use without a known deficiency is not supported and can cause harm.
🧪 Forms & quality
Needs evidence review — no source-reviewed information yet. We only show dose and monitoring details after they have been checked against reputable sources.
See the supplement glossary for what form names like "L-", chelated, or standardized extract mean.
📏 Dose & monitoring
NIH ODS sets an adult (19+) Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 45 mg/day.
Evidence vs. burden: Strong evidence relative to burden
Labs that may be worth discussing: Iron status
Iron status can be measured; supplementing without a known need is commonly discouraged. This may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
These are discussion prompts, not required tests. A healthcare professional can advise what makes sense for you.
😐 Commonly reported side effects
- Constipation, nausea, dark stools; toxic in overdose
Non-exhaustive and individual.
🔄 Cycling & breaks
Use is commonly guided by testing rather than fixed cycles.
📅 Daily use notes
Only supplement iron when a need is identified. Separate from calcium, zinc, and magnesium.
📋 Source review status
Source-reviewed — last reviewed 2026-07-02
Placeholder — reinforce test-first and child-safety messaging.
📚 References
- NIH ODS - Iron (Health Professional Fact Sheet)NIH ODS — Verified UL, GI/overdose safety, zinc-absorption note, and interactions (levothyroxine, levodopa, PPIs).
Verified against the source shown. See the research-status page for how review works.
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