Current Issues in Iron Deficiency
In the US, iron deficiency is a common nutritional deficiency, and ferrous sulfate is typically used as a nutritional supplement to build up an individual’s iron levels.
People in the United States usually obtain adequate amounts of iron from their diets, but infants, young children can suffer from iron deficiency.
Teenage girls, pregnant women, and premenopausal women may also be at risk of obtaining insufficient amounts of iron. Women’s nutritional needs change during their lifetime, and more iron is often required in their diets to prevent anemia. (1)
Average Daily Iron Intake
The average daily iron intake from foods is:
- 11.5–13.7 mg/day in children aged 2–11 years.
- 15.1 mg/day in children and teens aged 12–19 years.
- 16.3–18.2 mg/day in men and 12.6–13.5 mg/day in women older than 19.
The average daily iron intake from foods and supplements is:
- 13.7–15.1 mg/day in children aged 2–11 years.
- 16.3 mg/day in children and teens aged 12–19 years.
- 19.3–20.5 mg/day in men.
- 17.0–18.9 mg/day in women older than 19.
The median dietary iron intake in pregnant women is 14.7 mg/day. (3)
According to nutraingredients.com, iron deficiency anemia affects around 1.48 billion people in 2015 with a lack of dietary iron estimated to cause approximately half of all anemia cases globally. In the same year, anemia due to iron deficiency resulted in approximately 54,000 deaths –a decrease from the 213,000 deaths recorded in 1990. (2)
The over-the-counter (OTC) nutritional supplement of ferrous sulfate is used for treating and preventing low levels of iron in the blood. (1)
Recommended Daily Iron Intake
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| Birth to 6 months | 0.27 mg* | 0.27 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 11 mg | 11 mg | ||
| 1–3 years | 7 mg | 7 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 10 mg | 10 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 8 mg | 8 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 11 mg | 15 mg | 27 mg | 10 mg |
| 19–50 years | 8 mg | 18 mg | 27 mg | 9 mg |
| 51+ years | 8 mg | 8 mg |
* Adequate Intake (AI)
Ferrous Sulfate Dietary Supplements
Iron is available in many dietary supplements. Multivitamin/multimineral supplements with iron, especially those designed for women, typically provide 18 mg iron (100% of the DV). In contrast, multivitamin/multimineral supplements for men or seniors frequently contain less or no iron. Iron-only supplements usually deliver more than the DV, with many providing 65 mg iron (360% of the DV).
Frequently used forms of iron in supplements include ferrous and ferric iron salts, such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate, and ferric sulfate. The different forms of iron in supplements contain varying amounts of elemental iron. For example, ferrous fumarate is 33% elemental iron by weight, whereas ferrous sulfate is 20% and ferrous gluconate is 12% elemental iron . Fortunately, elemental iron is listed in the Supplement Facts panel, so consumers do not need to calculate the amount of iron supplied by various forms of iron supplements.
Approximately 14% to 18% of Americans use a supplement containing iron. Rates of use of supplements containing iron vary by age and gender, ranging from 6% of children aged 12 to 19 years to 60% of women who are lactating and 72% of pregnant women. (3)
The Global Market for Ferrous Sulfate in Nutraceuticals
In context to grade, the food grade segment is projected to witness a significant growth rate of 3.6% during the forecast period, which is expected to hold 30.0% of the market by 2027. The growth rate witnessed by the Food Grade Monohydrate segment is attributed to the increasing demand for nutritional supplement products, plus associated growing demand for nutraceuticals for treating anemia. In nutritional supplements, the commonly used type of ferrous sulfate is Ferrous Sulfate Monohydrate. (2)
In regards to region, North America can be seen to occupy a considerable share of the sector. The market share held by this region is attributed to the high demand for iron deficiency medications, continuously growing liquid ferrous sulfate industry, which is propelling the growth of the iron(II) sulfate industry in this region. (1)
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