Iron: when are supplements needed?
Taking iron supplements is advisable exclusively when a person has been diagnosed through laboratory tests with iron deficiency anemia or latent iron deficiency, confirmed by the results of a comprehensive blood test. Women of childbearing age are in a special risk group due to regular monthly blood loss, as well as pregnant women, and strict vegetarians and vegans whose diets are poor in bioavailable heme iron from animal products.
Characteristic symptoms of a shortage of this trace element include persistent chronic fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath with minimal physical exertion, dizziness, and brittle nails. When such signs appear, you should not immediately prescribe pharmacy vitamins to yourself, as you must first take a ferritin level test and a complete blood count to rule out other causes of malaise.
In order for the taken mineral complexes to be absorbed as efficiently as possible and bring benefits to the body, pharmacists recommend following simple rules.
An excess of iron in the body is extremely dangerous and toxic, as this element tends to accumulate in the tissues of internal organs, causing damage and oxidative stress. That is precisely why it is strictly forbidden to take iron-containing preparations "just for prevention" without first taking tests and consulting a specialist.