Iron is one of those important minerals your body can’t make on its own, so you have to obtain it from your diet or by taking iron supplements. While most men get enough iron from their diet to meet their body needs, women and young children are at risk of iron deficiency and may benefit from taking a multivitamin with iron.
When buying this type of supplement, one way to make the right choice is to choose one made from whole food ingredients, such as our top pick, Garden of Life Multivitamin for Women.
Depending on your situation, you may or may not need to supplement your diet with a multivitamin with iron. If you’re pregnant or experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, iron supplements can be helpful and the NIH recommends adult women take at least 27 mg of iron every day.
Conditions such as cancer or specific gastrointestinal disorders may also require you take an iron supplement. If you're recovering from surgery, iron supplements can also be beneficial. Finally, you might be wondering, how much iron is too much? Ideally, you shouldn’t take more than 45 mg of supplemental iron daily due to the unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects.
Some multivitamin products may contain ingredients that can trigger allergies in certain people. For example, gluten is an ingredient that you may be allergic to, causing diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain. To avoid this reaction, always look for the label "gluten free" when buying your multivitamin supplement.
Other products may have maltodextrin in them, which is a white powder from corn or starch, and it's used to preserve the shelf life of the supplement. If you're sensitive to corn products, taking a multivitamin that contains maltodextrin can also trigger an allergic reaction.
Taking a multivitamin daily may cause side effects like constipation, diarrhea or nausea, but these effects are often minor or temporary. In some rare cases, multivitamin supplements can cause headaches, nosebleeds or insomnia.
Another thing that induces side effects is combining similar nutritional supplements that cause you to exceed the daily safe upper limit. However, you can prevent this by talking to your doctor or pharmacist about the supplements you’re taking.
Adherence often determines the efficacy of a multivitamin; one way to ensure it is to choose a product that's palatable or appeals to your taste buds. If you have a hard time swallowing your multivitamin pills, it could be difficult to take them consistently. There are multivitamin pills that come in different forms, such as tablets, capsules, gummies and liquids, and you can always choose the option you prefer.
If you’re looking for a quality multivitamin, checking the product's certification is one way to determine its quality. These certifications are primarily carried out by third-party organizations to verify the quality of the product. While an organization like the FDA doesn’t verify supplements, if your multivitamin product includes a CGMP label, it means the products abide by the FDA’s CGMP guidelines.
Other certifications such as kosher and NSF International are also indicators that your product adheres to high standards. In fact, buying a product with any of these labels means the product contains what is stated in the package and there are no undeclared ingredients.
Sometimes, the other ingredients in your multivitamin, such as preservatives and fillers, are chemicals that you should avoid. This is another reason to check the ingredients list of the product you intend to buy. For example, artificial colors usually serve no function other than to make the pills look good. They exist in the formulation to conceal the fact that the appearance of the active ingredients in the vitamins have been degraded by exposure to light, air, moisture, heat or poor storage conditions. Yet this ingredient can cause lung inflammation, immune system dysfunction or even kidney damage. If you’re looking to avoid these concerns, you can choose products that are free of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.
Depending on the quantity of pills, you can expect to pay $10-$60 for quantities of 60 to 250 supplements.
A. If you have iron deficiency, one key benefit of taking a multivitamin with iron is that it increases your iron level faster than your diet would. In fact, you can expect to start feeling better within a few days, but it generally takes several months to get your iron level back to normal.
A. Taking a multivitamin with iron can cause side effects, such as constipation, dark stools, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. However, taking specific types of iron-containing multivitamin supplements can minimize these side effects due to the type of iron they contain.
Garden of Life Multivitamin for Women
What you need to know: This multivitamin is a specially formulated product for women made from nutritious and raw whole foods.
What you’ll love: It combines immune-boosting nutritional supplements including vitamin A, C and D3 with essential minerals such as iron, calcium and folic acid. This multivitamin meets high-quality standards and is certified by reputable organizations like NSF International and kosher.
What you should consider: You have to take four capsules daily.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Nature Made Multivitamin for Her Tablets
What you need to know: It's formulated with 23 key nutrients that provide your body with much-needed nutritional support.
What you’ll love: It contains vital immune support nutrients combined with folic acid and B vitamins to meet your daily nutritional requirements. It is also free of added color, artificial flavor or gluten.
What you should consider: Some people complain of an upset stomach and nausea when taking the multivitamin.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Rainbow Light Prenatal One Multivitamin
What you need to know: This is a comprehensive multivitamin formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant and nursing mothers.
What you’ll love: If you’re on a gluten-free, vegan diet, you can take it along with your vegan diet. It has purity-tested ingredients and contains no artificial preservatives. In addition to iron, it's formulated with vitamins A, C and D to help improve your overall health.
What you should consider: The tablets may be too big and difficult to swallow for some people.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Ayotola Ogunsipe writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
