Verdict
Leaning for
Iron supplements are worth taking only when a blood test shows a deficiency.
3 sources: 2 positive, 1 partly
By Arun AgrahriLast reviewed
Short answer
Only if a blood test shows you are deficient. Iron cuts both ways, because too little is dangerous, as is too much. Excess iron is called an aging accelerant, and some people supplement only for borderline levels.
Iron supplements improve health only in people whose iron is low.
The verdict on Iron overall. 4 sources: 1 positive, 3 partly
positive partly neutral negative Each researcher and each study counts once per claim, however often they come up.
Iron supplements are worth taking only when a blood test shows a deficiency.
3 sources: 2 positive, 1 partly.
Researchers say
2 positive, 1 partly
Andrew Huberman, on Huberman Lab, at 1:26:18
Positive Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 1:26:18 →“iron can be toxic, too little means you're anemic. For women, the levels of iron that you want are somewhere between 25 and 100. And for men, somewhere between 30 and 150.”
Chris Kresser, on The Dr. Hyman Show, at 43:09
Positive Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 43:09 →“I'm not a big fan of iron supplementation typically unless there's a reason you know unless we see that that patient has anemia”
Paula Hillard, on The Drive, at 2:23:10
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 2:23:10 →“um yes if you're correcting deficiencies I think you can make a case for that”
Studies show
No study counted yet.
Andrew Huberman, on Huberman Lab, at 1:26:18 Video · positive · Opinion
“iron can be toxic, too little means you're anemic. For women, the levels of iron that you want are somewhere between 25 and 100. And for men, somewhere between 30 and 150.”
Chris Kresser, on The Dr. Hyman Show, at 43:09 Video · positive · Opinion
“I'm not a big fan of iron supplementation typically unless there's a reason you know unless we see that that patient has anemia”
Paula Hillard, on The Drive, at 2:23:10 Video · partly · Opinion
“um yes if you're correcting deficiencies I think you can make a case for that”
Iron supplements are worth taking only when a blood test shows a deficiency.
Andrew Huberman, on Huberman Lab, at 1:26:18
Positive Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 1:26:18 →“iron can be toxic, too little means you're anemic. For women, the levels of iron that you want are somewhere between 25 and 100. And for men, somewhere between 30 and 150.”
Chris Kresser, on The Dr. Hyman Show, at 43:09
Positive Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 43:09 →“I'm not a big fan of iron supplementation typically unless there's a reason you know unless we see that that patient has anemia”
Paula Hillard, on The Drive, at 2:23:10
Partly Video · Opinion
Open the tape at 2:23:10 →“um yes if you're correcting deficiencies I think you can make a case for that”
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Iron supplements are worth taking only when a blood test shows a deficiency. Iron is unusual among supplements, because too little does serious harm, as does too much. Andrew Huberman, on his own show, says to have your blood iron measured before you start popping iron supplements.
Too much iron can be toxic, and too little means you're anemic. Mark Hyman, on his own show, says the same: get your levels checked.
Test ferritin, TIBC and transferrin saturation, as Peter Attia lays out in a dedicated episode on iron biochemistry.
Excess iron speeds up aging through oxidative stress. Chris Kresser, a guest on Hyman's show, notes that hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that stores too much iron, is the most common genetic condition in people of northern European descent.
Hyman keeps iron bisglycinate in his daily stack for low ferritin and calls iron one of the most common deficiencies. Heme iron also turns up as a supplement for borderline levels.
Never start iron without blood work that confirms a deficiency. Men and postmenopausal women rarely need it.
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