Vitamin Supplements

Before you decide that you need to take iron supplements or change the way you eat, you should know where you stand and how much improvement you really need. To help you analyze your current diet, we’ve developed a system you can use to calculate your approximate iron intake. Our ODA for men is 10 mg; for women, it ranges from 12 to 15 mg, rising to 20 mg for women with heavy menstrual flow. For the purposes of this test, we have used an ODA of 15 mg.

To determine your average daily intake of iron, start by keeping an accurate food diary for three or four days. The longer you keep the diary, the more accurate your calculations will be. Write down exactly what you eat and drink, together with an estimate of the serving size. Don’t concern yourself with precisely how much iron each food item contains; simply use the list to find the food item and the percentage of the ODA that it provides. Then add up all of these percentages to see if you reach 100 percent each day. Remember that we have based these percentages on an ODA of 15 mg; if your ODA is higher or lower, consider this in making your calculations.

If a particular item in your meals is missing from this list (it would be impossible for us to include every food item here), use the nutritional information on the food packaging. Most packaged foods are required to list their vitamin and mineral contents on the label.

After you’ve determined how much iron you are obtaining from your diet each day, you can calculate whether you need to take supplements to reach the ODA. Let’s say that you determine that you are getting 60 percent of your iron target through diet alone. You are consuming 15 mg of iron in your diet (60 percent x 15 mg = 9 mg). To make up the difference, we would advise you to supplement your diet with 6 mg of iron in tablet form (15 mg – 9 mg = 6 mg).

Many supplemental pills contain 15 to 18 mg of iron, allowing you to meet—and perhaps exceed—your iron requirements with one pill, without any real risk.

How much iron do you need to achieve optimal health?

We recommend different amounts of iron as optimal for men and women. For men, we advise consuming 10 mg per day. Women should consume 12 to 15 mg per day. Women who experience heavy bleeding during menstruation should increase their daily intake to 20 mg.

What special circumstance might affect the amount iron you need to take?

You need to be particularly conscientious about taking your optimal amount of iron if you are pregnant or have recently given birth; you are menstruating or have experienced blood loss for other reasons, including donating blood regularly; your diet is rich in fiber or tea; you are a vegetarian or consume little vitamin C; or you take certain medications.

Is it possible to consume optimal amount of calcium through diet alone?

You can consume the ODA for iron solely through diet, but few people do. You may need an iron supplement if you want to reach your optimal intake for this mineral.

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