{"id":810160,"date":"2026-08-11T15:08:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/810160\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T15:08:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:08:13","slug":"you-might-be-taking-too-much-of-this-supplement-and-not-even-know-it-here-are-the-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/810160\/","title":{"rendered":"You Might Be Taking Too Much Of This Supplement And Not Even Know It. Here Are The Signs."},"content":{"rendered":"

Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting approximately 14% of the American population, according to a 2024 study<\/a> published in JAMA Network. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve recently had your bloodwork done, it\u2019s possible your doctor might have told you that you have low ferritin, low hemoglobin, low hematocrit, low serum iron and\/or high transferrin \u2014 all of which can be indicators of iron-deficiency anemia, according to the American Society of Hematology<\/a>. This can cause symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, easy bruising and more.<\/p>\n

Health: Struggling With Brain Fog And Fatigue? You Might Be Lacking This 1 Essential Mineral.<\/a><\/p>\n

In this case, your doctor might have recommended you start taking an iron supplement.\u00a0But for those who don\u2019t have a set care plan when it comes to iron, it\u2019s possible you might be taking too much \u2015 or too little \u2015 and not even know it. <\/p>\n

Ahead, we spoke with hematologists about how much iron you should really be taking per day, the benefits of iron supplementation, and how to tell if you\u2019re taking too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What causes low iron?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, low iron is either due to inadequate dietary intake, poor absorption of iron from food, or chronic blood loss,\u201d said Dr. Thomas Plat\u00e8<\/a>,a hematologist with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in the University of Miami Health System. People with heavy menstrual periods, for example, can be at risk for low iron due to blood loss.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Dr. Adeel Khan<\/a>, an academic hematologist, oncologist and epidemiologist in Dallas, added that patients with compromised gastrointestinal absorption, such as those who have had bariatric surgery, may also have low iron.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with iron deficiency may feel tired, weak, short of breath, dizzy or have restless legs,\u201d said Dr. Daniel Landau<\/a>, an oncologist, hematologist and expert contributor at The Mesothelioma Center. \u201cA blood test is the best way to know if iron is actually the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People who have heavy menstrual periods, gastrointestinal absorption issues and more may be low in iron.Ekaterina Goncharova via Getty Images<\/p>\n

How much iron should you take per day?\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve learned you have low iron, it\u2019s possible your doctor might start you on an iron supplement before discussing other treatment options.\u00a0According to Plat\u00e8, the dosing of iron supplements depends on age, the severity of the iron deficiency, the cause of the iron deficiency and pregnancy status, among other considerations.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor people with iron deficiency, a commonly recommended dose is 65 milligrams [of elemental iron] daily,\u201d Plat\u00e8 said, noting that the elemental iron supplement should be in the form of ferrous sulfate.<\/p>\n

Health: COVID Cases Are Increasing In These Areas. Here\u2019s What Experts Want You To Know.<\/a><\/p>\n

Additionally, pregnant individuals may benefit from around \u201c27 mg of elemental iron supplement daily,\u201d\u00a0Plat\u00e8 said. But as always, chatting about your personal health factors with your doctor first is critical.<\/p>\n

Landau said one of the biggest misconceptions is that anyone who feels tired should take iron. \u201cFatigue has many causes, so it\u2019s important to get tested and make sure iron deficiency is actually the issue before starting supplements,\u201d Landau said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Additionally, Plat\u00e8 said certain conditions, such as thalassemia and myelodysplastic syndrome can mimic iron deficiency, but will not respond to iron supplementation so you\u2019ll want to rule that out from the offset before starting this type of supplements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How much iron is too much?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any single dose more than 120 mg elemental iron is likely too much, according to Plat\u00e8.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Health: If You Sleep In This 1 Position, Doctors Say You Need To Stop Immediately<\/a><\/p>\n

Plat\u00e8 also added that it\u2019s worth noting that taking iron more than once daily provides no additional benefit compared to once-daily or less frequent dosing for routine iron deficiency. <\/p>\n

\u201cOlder guidelines sometimes recommended taking iron up to three times per day, and this advice may still be encountered. However, no major U.S. medical organizations currently recommend oral iron more than once daily for most conditions, with the exception of iron deficiency in chronic kidney disease,\u201d Plat\u00e8 said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The normal range for iron in male adults is 70 to 180 micrograms per deciliter. For women, the normal range is 60 to 170 micrograms per deciliter, according to Harvard Health<\/a>. The best way to know if you\u2019re taking too much is to look at your lab work. If your values fall out of those ranges, then it\u2019s possible you\u2019re taking too much (or too little) iron.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aside from knowing the numbers, there are also some physical symptoms you might notice and experience if you\u2019re taking too much iron.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Health: Vitamin B-12 Is Like Magic For Your Brain \u2014 But Many People Are Low Or Deficient In It<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cCommon side effects include constipation, nausea, stomach upset and dark stools,\u201d Landau said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other side effects might include joint pain, low *** drive, unexplained weight loss and pain in your knuckles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What happens if you take too much iron?<\/p>\n

According to Plat\u00e8, excessive iron intake over time can lead to iron overload accumulating in organs such as the heart and liver (also known as hemochromatosis).<\/p>\n

\u201cUncorrected iron overload can lead to major illnesses such as heart failure and cirrhosis,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd because the body has no natural mechanism to eliminate excess iron, treating iron overload is complicated and requires regular blood donation or expensive medications.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

With this in mind, it is important to work closely with a doctor to monitor hemoglobin and ferritin levels if you\u2019re taking iron supplementation to prevent uncomfortable symptoms and potentially dangerous side effects like those mentioned above.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related…<\/p>\n

Read the original on HuffPost<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting approximately 14% of the American population,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":810161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[97],"class_list":["post-810160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=810160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/810160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/810161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=810160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=810160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=810160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}