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.

Products listing it: 8,6966,910 print an amount; 1,243 list it inside a blend without an amount
Median per serving: 5 mgmiddle half 1.2 mg to 18 mg
FDA Daily Value: 18 mgthe median is 28% of it
Adult upper limit (IOM): 45 mg234 products go above it a day

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).

Products by amount of iron per serving

6,953 products, log scale; extreme 0.2% at each end left out of the drawing.

The amounts printed most often
Amount per serving	Products	For example
18 mg	778	Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Creme (GNC Women's Ultra Mega); Active Milk Chocolate (GNC Women's Ultra Mega); Active Vanilla Creme (GNC Women's Ultra Mega)
1 mg	527	Colon Care Plus (Vitamin World); Psyllium Husk Seed (Vitamin World); LifeEssence (Pure Essence Labs)
5 mg	414	V.M.T. Regular Strength (Viva Vitamins); FocusFactor (FOCUSfactor); Age Defying Skincare Vitamin (Vite MD)
9 mg	287	Spiru-Pro Soy Protein Drink With Spirulina Natural Vanilla (Vitamin World); Super 75 Vitamins & Minerals (Carlson); R4yt (Exakta)
2 mg	271	Shape! (Hydroxycut); Nitro-Tech Advanced Protein Bar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (MuscleTech); Mega Vita-Min (Radiance)
3 mg	240	IntraPro Double Chocolate Flavor (Gaspari Nutrition); Every Woman's One Daily (New Chapter Organics); Super Greens Power (MET-Rx)
6 mg	226	Training-Peak (Inner Armour); Pro-Equalizer Protein Powder (Douglas Laboratories); Ultra-Pro Vanilla (Douglas Laboratories)
27 mg	223	Prenatal Once Daily (VitaCeutical Labs); Iron Tablets (Sunmark); Original Prenatal Formula (Bronson Laboratories)
10 mg	210	V.M.T. Extra Strength (Viva Vitamins); Multi Vitamin With Minerals (Radiance Select); Vegetarian Multi (VitaCeutical Labs)
4 mg	203	Basic Preventive Junior (Douglas Laboratories); IsoFast50 Chocolate Milkshake (MHP Maximum Human Performance); Kid's Stuff (Vitabase)

Source: Supplement Facts rows of every product's current label, NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database version 9.4.0; amounts in one measure (weight).

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.

Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) (Daily Values); Institute of Medicine, DRI summary tables (2011) (upper limits); on reading them, the FDA's Daily Value page.

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.

Products by the form of iron on the label

Count, and the median amount per serving in that form.

Iron: products naming each form, and their median amount per serving (DSLD version 9.4.0)
Form	Products	Share of iron products	Median per serving
Ferrous fumarate	1,280	15%	18 mg
Iron bisglycinate	546	6%	18 mg
Ferrous gluconate	228	3%	9 mg
Ferrous sulfate	186	2%	15 mg
Carbonyl iron	164	2%	24 mg
Polysaccharide-iron complex	38	under 1%	29 mg

Source: the form each label gives for its iron row (DSLD "forms"), current labels.

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.

Median iron per serving by the year the label entered DSLD (years with 20+ products)
Year	Products	Median per serving
2011	139	6 mg
2012	400	8 mg
2013	490	6.4 mg
2014	272	6 mg
2015	363	4 mg
2016	314	5 mg
2017	343	6 mg
2018	309	4 mg
2019	357	6 mg
2020	680	4.5 mg
2021	618	5 mg
2022	648	6 mg
2023	659	4 mg
2024	802	4 mg
2025	559	4 mg

Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.

In which products and brands?

Products listing iron by DSLD product type

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 135 of 174), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

Select Plant Protein Vegan Series Amazing Mint ChocolatePEScience7 mg
Select Plant Protein Vegan Series Amazing Peanut Butter DelightPEScience6 mg
Select Plant Protein Vegan Series Amazing Pumpkin PiePEScienceno amount
Select Plant Protein Vegan Series Amazing Vanilla IndulgencePEScienceno amount
Select Plant Protein Vegan Series Indulgent Chocolate BlissPEScience1.6 mg
Select Protein Amazing Cake PopPEScience0.2 mg
Select Protein Amazing Chocolate TrufflePEScience0.5 mg
Select Protein Amazing Cookies and CreamPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Amazing Gourmet VanillaPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Amazing Peanut Butter CookiePEScience0.4 mg
Select Protein Amazing Pumpkin PiePEScienceno amount
Select Protein Amazing SnickerdoodlePEScienceno amount
Select Protein Amazing Strawberry CheesecakePEScience0.2 mg
Select Protein Cafe Series Caramel MacchiatoPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Cafe Series Iced MochaPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Cafe Series Vanilla Sweet CreamPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Chocolate Mint CookiePEScience0.2 mg
Select Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter CupPEScienceno amount
Select Protein Frosted Chocolate CupcakePEScience0.2 mg
Select Smart Mass Amazing Gourmet ChocolatePESciencein a blend
Select Whey ChocolateMoss Nutrition8 mg
Select-OBEverett Laboratories29 mg
Select-OB +DHAEverett Laboratories29 mg
Select-OB Berry Flavored CapletExeltis USA29 mg
Select-OB+DHAEverett Laboratories29 mg
Senior Muscle Retention Protein Powder Natural Chocolate FlavorSwanson Ultra · off the market2.2 mg
Senior Muscle Retention Protein Powder Natural Vanilla FlavorSwanson Ultra · off the market1 mg
Seniority MultivitaminCountry Life9 mg
Senna Leaf PowderZ Natural Foodsin a blend
Sense For A Night OutSense2.1 mg
Sense For CholesterolSense2.1 mg
Sense For City LivingSense14 mg
Sense For Nicotine LoversSense7 mg
Sense For Weight WarriorsSense2.1 mg
Sentry21st Century18 mg
SentryLeader18 mg
Sentry Adults21st Century18 mg
Sentry Energy21st Century18 mg
Sentry Heart21st Century3 mg
Sentry Men21st Century8 mg
Sentry Senior Women's 50+21st Century8 mg
Sentry Women21st Century18 mg
SeraMense plus Probiotics ChocolateGreens First Female3.85 mg
SeraMense plus Probiotics GreensGreens First Female2.5 mg
Serious Mass BananaOptimum Nutrition5 mg
Serious Mass BananaON Optimum Nutrition5 mg
Serious Mass ChocolateON Optimum Nutrition · off the market8 mg
Serious Mass ChocolateOptimum Nutrition8 mg
Serious Mass Chocolate Peanut ButterON Optimum Nutrition · off the market8.3 mg
Serious Mass Chocolate Peanut ButterOptimum Nutrition9 mg