Short answer: a multivitamin with iron suits some people and not others. Iron needs change with age, sex and life stage, and too much can cause problems, so the sensible approach is to check your own levels before choosing.
What iron does
- The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements describes iron as a mineral the body uses to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood.
- Needs are higher for people who menstruate, are pregnant, or follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, and lower for most adult men and for women after menopause.
- Iron is also one of the more common causes of stomach upset when taken as a supplement.
How to decide
- Ask for a blood test: ferritin and haemoglobin tell you far more than a guess.
- Read the label: many adult multivitamins list iron, while others leave it out on purpose.
- Add it up: if you take a separate iron product, count it with the multivitamin.
- Mind the timing: iron can interact with calcium and some medications, so spacing matters.
If your formula does not include iron
- You can still get iron from foods such as red meat, lentils, beans and leafy greens.
- Pairing plant sources with vitamin C-rich foods helps absorption.
Our Complete Multivitamin lists a full B-complex, vitamins A, C, D and E, zinc and selenium, with no iron in the ingredient list, so check your own needs before deciding what to add.
Check first if this is you
If you are pregnant, nursing, have a blood or liver condition, or take prescription medication, talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking any iron product.
