mineral

Iron supplements

Half of the 6,910 iron supplements in the NIH label database that print an amount list 5 mg or less per serving; the middle half list 1.2 mg to 18 mg, and 1 in 29 of the 6,825 with a plausible amount give more than the adult upper limit at the most servings their labels direct (DSLD version 9.4.0, January 2026). The 291 products whose only supplement ingredient is iron list a median of 27 mg, and 25% of them give more than the upper limit.

How much iron do supplements contain?

The median product lists 5 mg per serving. One in ten lists 0.5 mg or less, one in ten 27 mg or more. The amount printed most often is 18 mg (778 products).

How do the amounts compare with the Daily Value and the upper limit?

The FDA Daily Value for iron is 18 mg (adults and children 4 and older). The median product gives 28% of it per serving; the 90th percentile 150%.

The adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 45 mg a day (total intake from food, water and supplements). At the most servings their labels direct, 234 of the 6,825 products with a plausible amount (3.4%) give more than that from the supplement alone (what counts as plausible).

The upper limit is for total intake from food, water and supplements unless stated, and does not apply under medical supervision. A label amount is what the maker printed. This is data, not advice: the NIH ODS fact sheets explain what each nutrient does.

Which forms of iron do labels name?

Ferrous fumarate is the form named most often: 1,280 of the 8,696 iron products (15%), ahead of iron bisglycinate (546, 6%) and ferrous gluconate (228, 3%). A product naming two forms counts in both; the table below gives every form.

• Ferrous fumarate
• Iron bisglycinate
• Ferrous gluconate
• Ferrous sulfate
• Carbonyl iron
• Polysaccharide-iron complex

Which products list the most iron?

On-market products, per serving, with a plausible amount: the rule leaves out likely entry slips, such as an amount far beyond every other label with no %DV or strength on the label to back it (each product page still shows its own amount, marked).

• Trigelsd-F ForteTrigen Laboratories151 mg
• Trigels-F ForteTrigen Laboratories151 mg
• Ferrex-150Major150 mg
• Ferrex 150 Plus CapsulesBreckenridge150 mg
• Ferrex 150Breckenridge Pharmaceutical150 mg
• FEONYX 1 mg/150 mgAmella Pharma150 mg
• Corvite 150Vertical Pharmaceuticals150 mg
• Corvite FeVertical Pharmaceuticals150 mg

Have the amounts changed over the years?

Products whose current label entered DSLD in 2011 list a median of 6 mg; those entered in 2025, 4 mg.

In which products and brands?

Brands listing it most: Nature's Plus (162), Nature's Way (73), Core Nutritionals (63), Douglas Laboratories (58), Amazing Grass (55), Bronson (50), Sunwarrior (50), Garden of Life (49), Solgar (47), XYMOGEN (45).

Every product listing iron

8,696 products, A to Z by name (page 120 of 174), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

• Prenatal Multi Healthy MomNature's Bounty28 mg
• Prenatal Multi Once Daily CapsVitamer Laboratories18 mg
• Prenatal Multi Tabletsup&up · off the market28 mg
• Prenatal Multi Vitamin & MineralNature's Way · off the market9 mg
• Prenatal Multi Vitamin SupplementBuild Nutrition · off the market25 mg
• Prenatal Multi With 1000 mg CalciumAnabolic Laboratories · off the market60 mg
• Prenatal Multi with DHABIOVEA18 mg
• Prenatal Multi With Omega-3Rexall Naturalist28 mg
• Prenatal Multi With Omega-3Sundown Naturalist28 mg
• Prenatal Multi+DHANutri-Rich18 mg
• PreNatal Multi-NutrientsVital Nutrients15 mg
• Prenatal Multi-VitaminWindmill28 mg
• Prenatal Multi-Vitamin And Multi-MineralNature's Way · off the market9 mg
• Prenatal MultipleProgressive Professional from Progressive Laboratories30 mg
• Prenatal Multiple with DHA & Vitamin D3Carlson · off the market27 mg
• PreNatal Multiple With DHA From Fish OilCarlson · off the market27 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminAmerifit33 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminSundown Naturals28 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminWell At Walgreens28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitaminup&up28 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminNutricost18 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminWindmill · off the market28 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminNATURELO Premium Supplements27 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminRainbow Light · off the market18 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminNature's Blend28 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminLuckyVitamin27 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminAmvilab17 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
• Prenatal MultivitaminNature's Way · off the market9 mg
• Prenatal MultivitaminCelebrate22.5 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin Plus Energy SupportRainbow Light · off the market18 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin Plus Immune SupportRainbow Light Vibrance · off the market30 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement Drink Sparkling Cranberry RaspberryOxylent · off the market13 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement Drink Sparkling Cranberry Raspberry FlavorPrenatal Oxylent · off the market18 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin TabletBayer One A Day28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin TabletAmerifit · off the market33 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin Tableti-Health33 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin w/DHAPuritan's Pride28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin with FolateWalgreens28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin with MineralsNature's Blend28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin/Mineral FormulaDouglas Laboratories27 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin/MultimineralSpring Valley28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin/Multimineral with FolateSpring Valley28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin/Multimineral With Folic acidSpring Valley28 mg
• Prenatal Multivitamin/Multimineral with Folic AcidRexall28 mg
• Prenatal NutrientsSolgar27 mg
• PreNatal NutrientsPure Encapsulations27 mg
• Prenatal Once DailyVitaCeutical Labs27 mg
• Prenatal Once DailyVSN Vital Strength Nutrition · off the market27 mg
• Prenatal Once DailyVitamer Laboratories27 mg
• Prenatal Once DailySimple Truth27 mg

Where next?

• Iron capsules
• Iron drops
• Iron gummies
• Iron powder
• Liquid iron
• Vegan iron
• Check an amount of iron
• Labels above the upper limit
• All ingredients