Iron Disorders Institute indicates that even a light case of iron toxicity can increase your risk of heart attack, diabetes and liver cirrhosis. If it is not treated, an iron overload can be fatal. However, your body requires minimum iron levels to maintain the production of red blood cells and oxygen transport and to prevent anemia.
For these reasons, it is essential to meet your daily iron needs and also to stay in the recommended directives for iron supplementation to prevent iron toxicity.
Find out more: Iron -rich foods for iron deficiency and anemia
That there is too much iron in an additional cost depends on the type of iron supplement you take. The tolerable upper limit fixed by the Institute of Medicine recommends taking more than 45 milligrams of elementary iron per day.
Higher limits of iron consumption
According to the Institute of Medicine, most adults can consume up to 45 milligrams of elementary iron daily without toxicity. Your health care provider may recommend a higher dose, such as 50 to 60 milligrams of iron, to treat iron anemia, according to the food supplements.
Your iron requirement may also increase slightly if you have recently undergone surgery or lost blood; If you have a condition that causes nutrients malabsorption or inflammation in the digestive tract, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease; Or if you have renal failure. Consult your doctor for an appropriate dosage of iron supplements.
Find out more:Foods that inhibit iron absorption
Dosage based on the type of iron supplement
The food supplements office notes that different types of iron supplements contain different percentages of elementary iron. For this reason, the total of the milligrams or the dosage of an iron supplement that you can take before toxicity occurs depends on the iron shape in your supplement. Speak with your health care provider before taking one of these supplements:
Ferrous fumarate Supplements contain 33% elementary iron. The upper limit of the contribution for these supplements without the supervision of a doctor is 136 milligrams per day, which gives you only 45 milligrams of elementary iron.
Ferrous sulfate Supplements contain 20% of item, which means that you can take 225 milligrams per day of this form.
Ferreous gluconate Contains 12% elementary iron, so you can take up to 375 milligrams of this supplement.
Find out more: Foods to eat if you have a weak iron
Iron toxicity symptoms
The risk of iron toxicity is relatively high because little iron is excreted from the body. The iron begins to accumulate in tissues and body organs, like the heart and the liver.
Taking iron supplements can cause side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea or abdominal pain, which may or may not be toxicity indicators. Taking your supplement with food can help prevent these symptoms.
In addition to the gastrointestinal side effects, the symptoms of iron toxicity include liquid in your lungs, bloody stools, a metallic taste in your mouth, vomiting of blood, dehydration, low blood pressure, chills, coma, convulsions, dizzy, drowns, fever, lunch, color in the skin.
Go to your local emergency care center if you feel one of these symptoms because iron overload can be fatal.
High risk of iron toxicity
Although iron toxicity can occur in anyone who consumes too many iron supplements or receives too many iron injections, some people are more likely to develop iron overload.
Iron Disorders Institute suggests that genetic conditions, such as hemochromatosis and sickle cell anemia, can increase your risk of developing iron toxicity. You must also be cautious with iron supplements if you are an alcoholic or suffer from a liver disorder.
In addition, most adult men and menopausal people require much less iron per day than people with menstrual cycles, putting them at risk of toxicity.
If you are under dialysis for renal failure, your health care provider must monitor your serum iron rate and adjust your dosage of iron supplements as required.
