Why should you take iron with orange juice? Iron should not be taken with what?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi My - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International Hospital.
Iron is required for the creation of hemoglobin, myoglobin, and the respiratory enzyme cytochrome C. Oral iron pills are often used to treat or prevent iron deficiency in the blood. Iron supplements are essential, but how to take iron the best?

1. The importance of iron supplementation for the body

Iron participates in the process of making blood, is abundant in red meat, eggs, beans, sesame, peanuts and dark green vegetables. Iron provided by animal foods will be more easily absorbed than iron from plant foods. The amount of vitamin C and protein in the diet also helps to increase iron absorption, conversely, tannin and phytate interfere with iron absorption.
For women during pregnancy, the need for iron will increase, so the daily diet cannot meet the need. Therefore, pregnant women should take iron supplements (30-60 mg elemental iron/day) or multi-micronutrient tablets as prescribed by the doctor. Iron deficiency leading to anemia in the mother will affect the mother's weight gain during pregnancy as well as the birth weight of the baby.

2. Why should you drink iron with orange juice?

We are often advised when taking medicine to use only filtered water, not with fruit juices or soft drinks. However, this is not entirely correct. There are some drugs that need to be taken in combination with fruit juice to be more effective, including iron.
Iron has two different forms heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron comes from animals, non-heme iron comes from plants. The body normally absorbs very little iron, about 15 to 35 percent heme iron and 2 to 20 percent nonheme iron. The rate at which non-heme iron is absorbed by the body depends on the presence of certain nutrients, some of which interfere with absorption and some of which enhance it. When they are digested together, vitamin C combines with non-heme iron to form a more absorbable compound
In fruit juices there is a lot of vitamin C (especially in orange juice). Vitamin C plays a very important role in the absorption of iron by the body. When we take iron tablets (in the form of compounds, with valence 2), but only trivalent iron is absorbed in the duodenum, so for absorption it is necessary to convert from divalent iron to ferric iron. Treatment 3 (this process occurs in the small intestine), this process requires the catalysis of vitamin C, if vitamin C deficiency will cause iron deficiency anemia, that's why doctors recommend you When taking iron tablets it should be taken with vitamin C. The presence of vitamin C will increase the absorption of non-heme iron, but it must be taken at the same time as non-heme iron. In particular, when they are digested together, vitamin C combines with non-heme iron to form a compound that is more easily absorbed.

Therefore, vitamin C deficiency can lead to iron deficiency, due to reduced iron absorption. Therefore, it is possible to take iron tablets with orange juice or fruit juice, avoid taking the drug with tea, coffee, and alcohol because it contains tannins, which will reduce iron absorption.

3. Other notes when supplementing with Iron

Do not take iron tablets at the same time as milk, calcium or calcium-rich foods because calcium interferes with the absorption of iron. Iron is a very difficult nutrient to absorb, and calcium slows this process down. Only with a calcium intake of 300mg or more, it is possible to completely lose the effect of iron. Therefore, pregnant women should not take iron and calcium pills at the same time. In addition, multivitamin tablets being sold on the market today can contain up to 400-600mg of calcium, making iron unabsorbed. You can add iron-rich foods such as oysters, beef, fish and chicken... eat these foods with foods and fruits rich in vitamin C to help absorb iron better. Avoid drinking tea and coffee near meals (should be drunk at least 1 hour before meals), because these drinks contain caffeine, tannin will significantly reduce the body's ability to absorb iron.
Master. American doctor has more than 6 years of experience as an internal medicine doctor at Hue Central Hospital, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital; Tam Tri Da Nang Hospital; Danang Hospital. Currently, he is a General Internal Medicine Doctor at Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.