Zero Iron Supplements

snookeroo

Why is there emphasis on zero iron supplements? Some multivitamin packaging tout "0 Iron".
Do we get too much in our diet?
It used to be you would hear advertising such as "Fortified with iron".

Mariettarose

I, as a female who have had a hysterectomy, should not have any extra iron in my supplements since I have no way to rid my body of the excess. Since I no longer have a cycle, my body cannot rid itself of the excess and can have it build up in my system. This can create an overdose and make me very ill. I have to watch the supplements I take to ensure I don't get too much iron. What I have in my normal diet is enough.

Supermel

My most recent multivitamen has zero iron as well. I asked at the nutrition house about this, and they said that the iron actualy blocks you from absorbing most of the nutrients in the vitamen, they reccomend that you take an iron supplement, but take it 12 hours difference from your multi, so that you can absorb it all separately. HTH

kcdrake

I, as a female who have had a hysterectomy, should not have any extra iron in my supplements since I have no way to rid my body of the excess. Since I no longer have a cycle, my body cannot rid itself of the excess and can have it build up in my system. This can create an overdose and make me very ill. I have to watch the supplements I take to ensure I don't get too much iron. What I have in my normal diet is enough.

How do males rid themselves of excess iron?


Snook, I don't know all the details, but there are some people who already get plenty of iron and if they get too much extra it can make them very ill. I asked a question once pertaining to red meat and iron and a couple of people mentioned that they can't take anything with extra iron added.

deckerp

Here's a question from The Nation Institute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements

I actually have a friend with hemochromatosis. He has to have blood taken every month or two to control the amount of iron in his blood. He's not allowed to give blood either. Not that it's contagious but it just isn't allowed.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron.asp#h9

Who should be cautious about taking iron supplements?

Iron deficiency is uncommon among adult men and postmenopausal women. These individuals should only take iron supplements when prescribed by a physician because of their greater risk of iron overload. Iron overload is a condition in which excess iron is found in the blood and stored in organs such as the liver and heart. Iron overload is associated with several genetic diseases including hemochromatosis, which affects approximately 1 in 250 individuals of northern European descent [67]. Individuals with hemochromatosis absorb iron very efficiently, which can result in a build up of excess iron and can cause organ damage such as cirrhosis of the liver and heart failure [1,3,67-69]. Hemochromatosis is often not diagnosed until excess iron stores have damaged an organ. Iron supplementation may accelerate the effects of hemochromatosis, an important reason why adult men and postmenopausal women who are not iron deficient should avoid iron supplements. Individuals with blood disorders that require frequent blood transfusions are also at risk of iron overload and are usually advised to avoid iron supplements.