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The ultimate guide to raising low iron levels

How to boost your iron levels with food, supplements, and lifestyle changes.

Long read

March 16, 2025

Key Takeaway

Iron deficiency is rarely caused by one factor alone, which is why a multi-layered approach works best. Nutrition, gut health, inflammation, menstrual blood loss, training intensity, and even coffee habits all influence iron status. By addressing these factors together, and avoiding blind supplementation, most people can rebuild healthy ferritin and hemoglobin levels while protecting against both deficiency and overload.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide, affecting 25 per cent of the world's population. Low iron is also the most common cause of anemia. In this more advanced condition, the body shows measurable drops in hemoglobin and red blood cells and cannot deliver oxygen to various tissues, resulting in dizziness and extreme fatigue. But even in the absence of anemia, iron deficiency can cause a host of other symptoms like low energy, weakness, depression, hair loss, hormonal imbalances, brain fog, and more.

If you've discovered that you're deficient in this all-important mineral, the good news is that raising your iron levels is absolutely doable with a few simple diet, supplement, and lifestyle adjustments. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about increasing iron levels safely and effectively.

So, why is iron so important?

Iron is an essential mineral that plays a fundamental role in the body's overall health, particularly in the production of red blood cells. It forms the central component of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen in the lungs and transports it to tissues, organs, and cells throughout the body. Without enough iron, the body cannot produce enough healthy red blood cells, leading to a reduced ability to deliver oxygen where it needs to go.

Using foods to raise iron

Iron comes in two forms: heme iron (found in animal sources) and non-heme iron (found in plant-based sources).

Best heme iron sources:

Red meat (beef, lamb, venison)
Organ meats (liver, kidney)
Poultry (chicken, turkey)
Seafood (salmon, tuna, shellfish)

Heme iron is absorbed at a rate of 15-35 per cent, making it a much more efficient source of iron. While omnivores get roughly 10-15 per cent of their iron from animal foods, this accounts for almost half of the total iron they actually absorb. Inhibition of iron absorption (ie by phytates or polyphenols), or its promotion (ie by vitamin C) doesn't apply to heme iron- it gets absorbed quite well regardless.

Best non-heme (plant-based) iron sources:

Dark leafy greens (nori, kale, Swiss chard)
Sprouted or Fermented Legumes (lentils, beans)
Fortified cereals and grains (quinoa, teff, amaranth)

Supplements, prescription iron, injections, and IV

If testing has revealed that you are indeed iron deficient, and you struggle to get enough iron for your personal needs through diet alone, supplementation can be a major ally in restoring iron levels and boosting ferritin on your follow-up bloodwork.

Types of iron supplements

Ferrous fumarate: A very commonly prescribed form of iron, ferrous fumarate causes the most side effects because it is the most concentrated in elemental iron. Ferrous fumarate is 33 per cent elemental iron, so for 300 mg of ferrous fumarate, 90 mg will be pure iron.
Ferrous sulphate: The sulphate form is very inexpensive and probably the most commonly prescribed form. Ferrous sulfate is 20 per cent elemental iron, so for every 300 mg, 60 mg will be pure iron. This means it may have fewer side effects than the fumarate version, but may also be slower to raise severely low iron levels.
Ferrous gluconate: Like sulphate and fumarate, ferrous gluconate is an iron salt and therefore has similar properties. However, gluconate has the least elemental iron of the three at approximately 36 mg for every 300 mg of ferrous gluconate (12 per cent).

Fran Allen Chicken Wings 1.jpg — Spicy Gochujang Chicken Wings

Cautions for getting too much iron

While iron deficiency is common, iron overload can also be dangerous. Once iron has been absorbed, the body has no mechanism for getting rid of excess iron, which can accumulate in organs, leading to oxidative damage to cells and tissues. This is why getting tested before supplementing iron is extremely important! It's also why follow-up testing, to see how you're responding to iron prescriptions or supplementation, is equally important.

Signs of too much iron:

Nausea & vomiting
Stomach pain
Liver damage
Increased risk of infections

Safe upper limit: The tolerable upper intake level (UL) for iron is 45 mg/day for adults. In times of extreme deficiency, this may be exceeded, but this is only to be done under supervision of a primary healthcare provider.

Summary

Iron is an essential mineral that supports oxygen transport, energy levels, and overall health. Whether you're dealing with a mild deficiency or severe anemia, the right combination of iron-rich foods, strategic supplementation, and smart lifestyle choices can help restore your levels.

Achleithner, S. (n.d.). The Ultimate Guide to Iron. Elo. https://www.elo.health/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-iron/

Agyeman, V. (2024, January 19). Your Ultimate Guide to Iron – and why it matters. culinahealth.com. https://culinahealth.com/your-ultimate-guide-to-iron-and-why-it-matters/

Alleyne, M., Horne, M. K., & Miller, J. L. (2008). Individualized treatment for iron-deficiency anemia in adults. The American journal of medicine, 121(11), 943–948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.07.012

Bovell-Benjamin, A. C., Viteri, F. E., & Allen, L. H. (2000). Iron absorption from ferrous bisglycinate and ferric trisglycinate in whole maize is regulated by iron status. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(6), 1563–1569. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.6.1563

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Damien ZielinskiA cloud-based functional medicine practitioner with a focus on mental health and insomnia

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Inadequate dietary intake: A diet lacking foods rich in well-absorbed iron can lead to low ferritin (the iron storage protein often used to test iron status on blood panels), iron deficiencies, and even iron deficiency anemia. This is particularly common for vegetarians and vegans.
Blood loss: Heavy menstruation, frequent blood donation, ulcers, surgery, or gastrointestinal bleeding can deplete iron stores. The body doesn't have many ways of getting rid of iron, making excess blood loss one of the most significant ways that this precious mineral is lost.
Malabsorption issues: Conditions like celiac disease, Crohn's, or past gastric surgeries can interfere with iron absorption. Stealthy health conditions that can cause internal bleeding underscore the need to investigate why iron is low instead of simply replenishing the mineral blindly. This may involve further diagnostic investigation, such as an endoscopy.
Polyphenol rich drinks: Compounds found in tea, coffee, whole grains, and legumes can block iron absorption. Black tea, for example, can block iron absorption by up to 94 per cent! If you take your coffee in the morning, consider taking your iron in the afternoon or evening. In more severe cases, anemic patients are often advised to remove coffee and tea altogether.
Phytic acid: Phytates, or phytic acid, found in nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, bind to iron, cutting its absorption in half. This poses a challenge to plant-based eaters since many plant-based sources of iron are also high in phytates.
Alcohol use: Heavy or even chronic moderate alcohol use can significantly reduce our ability to absorb iron from the gut by damaging the intestinal lining. It can also rob us of folate and vitamin C, both important for iron absorption in their own right.
Pregnancy and lactation: The body's iron needs increase dramatically during pregnancy to support the growing fetus. Interestingly, the body's ability to absorb iron also rises dramatically to meet this need- but not enough to compensate for a lack of it in the diet.
Calcium supplements: Calcium competes with iron for absorption, making it harder for the body to absorb iron from food or supplements when taken together. It's generally advised, where possible, to space them apart by 1-2 hours.

The ultimate guide to raising low iron levels | Rily · Good Recipes

The ultimate guide to raising low iron levels

The ultimate guide to raising low iron levels

How to boost your iron levels with food, supplements, and lifestyle changes.

Key Takeaway

So, why is iron so important?

What causes iron deficiency?

Using foods to raise iron

Iron absorption boosters

Supplements, prescription iron, injections, and IV

Types of iron supplements

Other tips for raising iron levels

Cautions for getting too much iron

Summary

How much iron should you get?

How to make the most of iron supplements

Injection and IV iron