Iron 101: All about low iron levels, iron deficiency anemia and iron in foods

5. Since an excess of iron can be harmful, take iron supplements only if your doctor or dietitian recommends them.
The most common iron supplements are iron salts such as ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate. Check the label for the amount of elemental iron; this number reflects the amount of iron that's available for absorption, says Estelle Wolf, a pharmacist in Thornhill, Ont.

Since iron supplements may cause unpleasant side-effects, such as constipation and nausea, Wolf suggests taking the supplement with food, at various times of the day, or starting with half of the recommended dose and gradually working up to the full amount. If these strategies don't help, she suggests trying iron polysaccharide supplements, which are more expensive but, because they've been chelated (bound together) with complex carbohydrates, they're easier to digest. Check with your pharmacist to ensure that you’re not exceeding recommended doses when you add supplements to your multivitamin.

How much iron is in your food?

Food HEME	Iron (mg)
Beef liver, pan-fried (75 g)	4.6
Beef sirloin steak, broiled (75 g)	2.3
Shrimp, pan-fried (75 g)	2.3
Dark chicken meat, roasted (75 g)	1.0
White chicken meat, roasted (75 g)	0.8
Pork chop, broiled (75 g)	0.7
Atlantic salmon, poached (75 g)	0.3
NONHEME
Bran flake cereal (125 mL)	4.0
Spinach, boiled (125 mL)	3.4
Oatmeal, plain (175 mL)	3.1
Potato with skin, baked (1 medium)	2.8
Red kidney beans, canned (125 mL)	2.8
Spaghetti, cooked (125 mL)	1.0
Raisins (60 mL)	0.7

(While it appears that spinach has more iron than steak, remember that less of the iron from spinach is absorbed.)

Dietary Allowances

Recommended Dietary Allowances
Age/stage	Male (mg/day)	Female (mg/day)
Infant 7–12 months	11	11
Children 1–3 years	7	7
Children 4–8 years	10	10
Children 9–13 years	8	8
Teen 14–18 years	11	15
Adult 19–50 years	8	18
Adult 51 years	8	8
Pregnancy	N/A	27
Lactation	N/A	9

Read more:
• Avoiding iron deficiency
• Supplements for energy

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