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

• Greens Effervescent Tablets Melon Lime FlavorTrace Minerals0.15 mg
• Greens Guava BerryGHOST1 mg
• Greens Iced Tea LemonadeGHOST1 mg
• Greens LimeGHOST1 mg
• Greens N' ThingsVitaCeutical Labs · off the market0.5 mg
• Greens N' ThingsVitamer Laboratories · off the market0.5 mg
• Greens Natural Berry FlavorBarlean's1 mg
• Greens Natural UnflavoredMoss Nutrition2 mg
• Greens Organic ChocolateNatural Factors Whole Earth & Sea4 mg
• Greens Organic Superfood Berry FlavorSystemLS1.6 mg
• Greens Organic Superfood NutritionHost Defense MycoBotanicals0.5 mg
• Greens Organic TropicalNatural Factors Whole Earth & Sea4 mg
• Greens OriginalGHOST1 mg
• Greens Pak BerryTrace Minerals Research1 mg
• Greens Pak ChocolateTrace Minerals Research1.5 mg
• Greens Pink LemonadeGHOST1.5 mg
• Greens Superfood BlendBodyMelt0.9 mg
• Greens Superfood Iced Tea LemonadeGHOST · off the market1 mg
• Greens Superfoods CoffeeTerra Origin1.67 mg
• Greens Superfoods MintTerra Origin1.24 mg
• Greens UnflavoredNatural Factors Whole Earth & Sea4 mg
• Greens+ Apple BananaAxe & Sledge Supplements0.46 mg
• GreenTein Dark Chocolate CaramelEvogen Naturals4 mg
• GreenTein Vanilla AlmondEvogen Naturals3 mg
• Ground FlaxseedBareOrganics0.48 mg
• Ground Flaxseed with Mixed BerriesSpectrum Essentials0.8 mg
• GROW Chocolate Peanut Butter CupCore Nutritionals7.7 mg
• GROW Cookies N' CreamCore Nutritionals7.7 mg
• GROW Vanilla MilkshakeCore Nutritionals5.8 mg
• Gtc #2Bronson · off the market0.63 mg
• GTC FormulaBronson1.25 mg
• GTC Formula #2Bronson Laboratories · off the market0.63 mg
• GummiesNatures Plus Source of Life Animal Parade1 mg
• GummiesNaturesPlus Animal Parade1 mg
• Gummies Kids Multi with Iron Orange FlavorGarden of Life Vitamin Code2 mg
• Gummies Prenatal Multi with Iron 27 mg & Folate 600 mcg Cherry Lemonade FlavorGarden of Life Vitamin Code27 mg
• Gummy Mega Multi-Vitamin for Children Raspberry Naturally FlavoredVitables0.9 mg
• Guna-BasicGUNA Biotherapeutics7 mg
• Guru Energy DrinkGuruin a blend
• Guru Lite 2.0Guruin a blend
• Gut BlissKuli Kuli · off the market0.4 mg
• Gut Feeling MaxHoltraCeuticalsin a blend
• Gut-Brain Connection Chocolate FlavoredBIOHM0.59 mg
• Guts + Greens Strawberry KiwiMuscleForce2 mg
• Gynovite PlusOptimox Corporation · off the market18 mg
• Gynovite PlusOptimox18 mg
• H.U.G.E. Mass Chocolate FudgeXL Xero Limits · off the market1 mg
• H.U.G.E. Mass Vanilla CremeXL Xero Limits · off the market1 mg
• H3O Fitness Drink OrangeadeHerbalife Nutrition · off the marketno amount
• Haiku 100% Organic Chlorella 200 mgPlanetary Organics1.8 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