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

• Cerovite LiquidRugby9 mg
• CertaVite with AntioxidantsMajor18 mg
• Certified Organic Chlorella 500 mgNOW · off the market6 mg
• Certified Organic Delicious Red & Green Superfood for KidsPeak Performance · off the market0.361 mg
• Certified Organic GreensVSN Vital Strength Nutrition · off the market0.5 mg
• Certified Organic Nopal Juice BlendDynamic Health0.6 mg
• Certified Organic SpirulinaSwanson GreenFoods Formulas · off the market0.7 mg
• Certified Organic Spirulina 1 gramSwanson · off the market0.7 mg
• Certified Organic Spirulina 500 mgSwanson0.7 mg
• Certified Organic Spirulina Powder PureNOW1.6 mg
• Certified Organic Triple GreensOrganic Bros Purity Products2.3 mg
• Certified Organic Whole Psyllium HusksNOW1.7 mg
• Certified Women's MultivitaminRainbow Light · off the market4 mg
• Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Omega-3 Chia SeedsJoseph Enterprisesin a blend
• Cha De Bugre PowderBIOVEA Natural Foodsin a blend
• Chaga Mushroom CapsulesHealth Ranger Selectno amount
• ChagaMilkNorth American Herb & Spicein a blend
• Champion BlendIsotonix · off the market1.5 mg
• Chela-DetoxSource Naturals0.7 mg
• Chelated Iron4 Today · off the market18 mg
• Chelated IronCarlson · off the market27 mg
• Chelated IronNeoLife Nutritionals · off the market25 mg
• Chelated IronSolgar25 mg
• Chelated IronNature's Sunshine23 mg
• Chelated IronNHC Natural Healthy Concepts29 mg
• Chelated Iron 18 mgBluebonnet18 mg
• Chelated Iron 25 mgVitamin Discount Center · off the market25 mg
• Chelated Iron 27 mgCarlson27 mg
• Chelated Iron 29 mgVSN Vital Strength Nutrition · off the market29 mg
• Chelated Iron 29 mgVitaCeutical Labs29 mg
• Chelated Iron 29 mgAnabolic Laboratories · off the market29 mg
• Chelated Iron 29 mgVitamer Laboratories29 mg
• Chelated Iron 29 mgNatural Nutra29 mg
• Chelated Magnesium Calcium 2:1Solgar0.7 mg
• Chelated MineralsCarlson18 mg
• Chelated MultimineralsBluebonnet20 mg
• Chelated Solamins MultimineralSolgar10 mg
• Cherifer PGM 10-22 for TeenagersHeight Is Might · off the market17 mg
• Chew-Iron 27 mg Natural Grape FlavorCarlson · off the market27 mg
• Chewable Adult MultiCountry Life · off the market5 mg
• Chewable Adult Multi Pineapple-Orange FlavorCountry Life5 mg
• Chewable Advanced Multi EA Mixed FruitBariatric Advantage Innovations22.5 mg
• Chewable Advanced Multi EA StarwberryBariatric Advantage Innovations45 mg
• Chewable Advanced Multi EA StrawberryBariatric Advantage Innovations22.5 mg
• Chewable Calcium 500 mgSolgar · off the market0.6 mg
• Chewable Heart-Shaped Love BitesNature's Plus · off the market10 mg
• Chewable High ADEK with Iron Tropical FruitBariatric Advantage22.5 mg
• Chewable Iron -29 With Vitamin C Passion Fruit FlavorBariatric Advantage · off the market29 mg
• Chewable Iron 15 mg Natural Strawberry FlavorCarlson Kid's15 mg
• Chewable Iron 18 mg with Vitamin C StrawberryBariatric Advantage18 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