Supplement · Brain health technique
Iron
Evidence grade: Context Dependent
A critical mineral for oxygen transport and energy production. Found as heme iron in meat and non-heme iron in plants. Supplements are commonly ferrous sulfate, bisglycinate, or gluconate.
- Practice
- Supplement
- Principle
- Nourishment
- Tactic
- Foundational Nutrients
- Health domains
- metabolic
- Evidence grade
- Context Dependent
- Strength of evidence
- Medium
- Cost
- Low
- Effort
- Low
- Time commitment
- Low
How to practice Iron
Supplement only after confirming deficiency through ferritin and hemoglobin testing. Typical replacement: 18–27 mg elemental iron daily; take with vitamin C for absorption and away from calcium or caffeine. For maintenance, emphasize heme sources (red meat, shellfish) or plant sources plus vitamin C. Avoid excess, high ferritin (>200 ng/mL) can be harmful.
The evidence behind Iron
Iron deficiency reduces oxygen delivery to the brain and impairs dopamine metabolism, leading to fatigue, low mood, and reduced cognition. Evidence supports supplementation for deficient individuals, particularly menstruating women and vegetarians. However, excess iron increases oxidative stress and is linked to neurodegenerative risk. Mixed evidence for cognitive benefit unless correcting deficiency.
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