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

• Monster Massive VanillaCytoSport6.3 mg
• Monster Massive VanillaCytoSport Monster Series6.3 mg
• Monster Milk BananaCytoSport Monster Series0.36 mg
• Monster Milk ChocolateCytoSport1.1 mg
• Monster Milk ChocolateCytoSport Monster Series1.1 mg
• Monster Milk Cookies 'N CremeCytoSport Monster Series0.36 mg
• Monster Milk Peanut Butter ChocolateCytoSport Monster Series1.1 mg
• Monster Milk StrawberryCytoSport Monster Series0.36 mg
• Monster Milk VanillaCytoSport0.36 mg
• Monster Milk VanillaCytoSport Monster Series0.36 mg
• Monster Whey ChocolateCytoSport Monster Series0.4 mg
• Monster Whey VanillaCytoSport Monster Series0.4 mg
• Mood MagicKuli Kuli · off the market0.51 mg
• More GreensPurium Health Products · off the marketin a blend
• More GreensPurium1 mg
• More Than A Greens Nutritional Powder With Advanced ProbioticsAmerican Health3 mg
• More Than A Multiple Multivitamin For WomenAmerican Health18 mg
• More Than A Multiple Multivitamin FormulaAmerican Health15 mg
• MoringaHealthForce SuperFoods Integrity Foods0.6 mg
• MoringaBest Naturals1 mg
• Moringa CapsYerba Primano amount
• Moringa LeafBareOrganics · off the market3 mg
• Moringa Leaf PowderBIOVEA Natural Foods1 mg
• Moringa Leaf PowderOrganic Aura1 mg
• Mother & ChildPure Essence12 mg
• Mother Kare Prenatal MultivitaminNature's Gifts · off the market29 mg
• Mother Nature PrenatalUC UltraChamp · off the market28 mg
• Mother to BePure Essence20 mg
• MRE Banana Nut BreadRedcon14 mg
• MRE Blueberry CobblerRedcon10.7 mg
• MRE Cookies & CreamRedcon12.7 mg
• MRE Dutch Apple PieRedcon14 mg
• MRE Lite Banana Nut BreadRedcon10.3 mg
• MRE Lite Fudge BrownieRedcon12 mg
• MRE Lite Oatmeal Chocolate ChipRedcon1no amount
• MRE Lite Peanut Butter CookieRedcon12 mg
• MRE Lite SnickerdoodleRedcon12 mg
• MRE Lite Vanilla MilkshakeRedcon12 mg
• MRE Milk ChocolateRedcon11,503 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
• MRE Oatmeal Chocolate ChipRedcon11.9 mg
• MRE Salted CaramelRedcon10.7 mg
• MRE Strawberry ShortcakeRedcon10.7 mg
• MRE Vanilla MilkshakeRedcon13 mg
• MRP Active ChocolateNutracore Nutrition · off the marketin a blend
• MRP Active Milk And CookiesNutracore Nutrition · off the marketin a blend
• MRP Active VanillaNutracore Nutrition · off the marketin a blend
• MRP Apple Crumb CakeCore Nutritionals7 mg
• MRP Banana CreamCore Nutritionals5.22 mg
• MRP Blueberry Crumb CakeCore Nutritionals8.25 mg
• MRP Carrot CakeCore Nutritionals8.25 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