How much Vitamin C should I take with iron？

Eating foods rich in vitamin C is also important for improving iron absorption. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to every tissue in the body to ensure proper function and health. These functions are made up of heme,an iron-containing compound contained in red blood cells. Vitamin C is also required for the production of red blood cells.In addition,keeping the walls of blood vessels healthy is also inseparable from iron and vitamin C.

The body's absorption of iron is significantly increased by the presence of vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an important role in the synthesis of red blood cells, and iron is an important element of heme; since red blood cells contain heme, iron is closely associated with vitamin C.

People with poor circulation or iron-deficiency anemia should add extra iron and vitamin C to their daily diet. When the human body is not deficient in iron, the absorption rate of this nutrient from food intake is only 10%, but when it is deficient, the absorption rate of iron is as high as 35%. This absorption rate can be further enhanced by eating foods rich in vitamin C.

● Iron vitamins daily requirements

The amount of vitamin C a person requires depends on the age. As per the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the average daily recommended amounts for different ages are as below:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
0-6 months	40 mg	40 mg	-	-
7-12 months	50 mg	50 mg	-	-
1-3 years	15 mg	15 mg	-	-
4-8 years	25 mg	25 mg	-	-
9-13 years	45 mg	45 mg	-	-
14-18 years	75 mg	65 mg	80 mg	115 mg
19+ years	90 mg	75 mg	85 mg	120 mg

Table reproduced from an article by the Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board - Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids external link disclaimer.

● Elemental iron supplement daily requirements

Here is a visual summary of daily iron needs according to biological sex and age:

Age group	Male(mg/day)	Female(mg/day)
Birth to 6 months	0.27	0.27
7-12 months	11	11
1-3 years	7	7
4-8 yeara	10	10
9-13 years	8	8
14-18 years	11	15
19-30 years	8	18
31-50 years	8	18
51+ years	8	8
Pregnancy	-	27
Lactation(younger than 18 years)	-	10
Lactation(19-50 years)	-	9

● Elemental iron supplement is present in two forms, heme and non-heme in foods

1. Sources of Heme Iron

Heme iron is found in animal foods that contain hemoglobin,such as meat,fish and poultry. Heme iron is the best form of iron,as up to 40% of it is readily absorbed by your body.

We can tell you that good food sources of heme iron include beef, chicken, pork, veal. Fish such as halibut, perch, haddock, tuna and salmon, Shellfish such as clams, oysters and mussels.

That is to say red meats and organ meats like liver are particularly good sources.

2. Sources of Non-Heme Iron

Non-heme iron primarily comes from plant sources and is present in vegetables,grains and fortified foods.

It’s estimated that 10–15% comes from the heme form,while 85–90% of total iron intake comes from the non-heme form. In terms of its bio-availability, non-heme iron is absorbed much less efficiently than heme iron.

Good sources of non-heme iron include dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach.Fortified cereals, rice, wheat and oats.Beans like lentils and soybeans.Dried fruits like raisins and apricots.

One study in adults found that iron absorption increased by 67% when they took 100 mg of vitamin C with a meal.

As one of dietary supplement manufacturer that we have liability to make iron plus vitamin c together, form vitamin c with iron controlled release tablet which contain vitamin c 200 mg plus iron 50mg for each tablet. It is tasteless so that you can’t smell iron taste at all, some reports from our customer who bought iron supplement tablets in the market or shop online. They said,there were rust smell from it so that they hard to swallow it.

For our iron plus vitamin c supplement, it is perfect companion that we make it based on film coated controlled release technology.

Fasting guidelines are correct for non-heme forms of iron, including ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate. We need inform you that iron come from non-heme forms of iron from ferrous sulfate.

We combine ferrous sulfate with vitamin c together. it can’t stimulate the stomach at all.Taking 1 or 2 tablets of this kind of iron and vitamin c supplements with breakfast or water,you will share the iron and vitamin c tablets benefits for the body's needs to iron, especially for women who have a big needs for iron. Their body will lose much iron during menstrual period for each month, and it is necessary for them to supplement iron every day. Women should take iron plus vitamin c timed release tablets every day.we think.

Although it is always preferable to obtain nutrients from real food, the source of vitamin C does not affect iron absorption. Taking Vitamin C 200mg plus iron 50mg sustained release tablets, its formula designed as controlled release tablets, it means the releasing time is 12 to 24 hour in the body, that is to say, it can continue to provide nutrition within 12 to 24 hour.

Most women choose and like our vitamin c with iron controlled release tablet, you can contact with us if you are importer and do business women dietary supplement, we can supply OEM and ODM service.