Should I stop taking iron supplements if my stools turn black?

Iron is an important nutrient for the human body. If the human body is iron deficient, symptoms such as anemia and malnutrition may occur. In order to supplement iron, people often eat some patches or some iron-rich foods, such as animal liver, fungus, lean meat, eggs, walnuts, celery, shiitake mushrooms, etc. During the iron supplementation process, people's stools will turn black. This is a normal phenomenon and will disappear when iron supplementation is stopped. There is no need to worry too much.

1. Is it normal to have black stools after taking iron supplements?

This is a normal phenomenon. Since iron supplements can combine with hydrogen sulfide in the intestines to form black iron sulfide, the stool color will turn black after taking iron supplements. It will naturally disappear after stopping the medication, so don't worry.

In addition, it is recommended that you pay attention to eating more iron-rich foods, such as animal offal, animal blood, red dates, fungus, etc., supplement more vitamin C, eat more vegetables and fruits, and wish you good health!

2. Symptoms of Iron Deficiency

Symptoms of iron deficiency include brittle hair, hair loss, pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, and spoon-shaped nails or nails with vertical bumps. Iron deficiency can cause iron deficiency anemia, leading to poor motor skills, intellectual disability, temperature regulation disorders, reduced immunity, etc.

3. What are the foods that supplement iron?

Iron is one of the essential trace elements for the human body and is the main substance for maintaining life. Iron is involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochrome and many enzymes. It is the main raw material for producing hemoglobin in the body. It plays an important role in many metabolisms such as oxygen transport and respiration. It is also a necessary substance to promote the metabolism of B vitamins. The complete absorption of iron requires the mutual assistance of vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins, and the heme iron in animal foods is easier for the human body to absorb than the iron contained in plant foods.

Iron is an essential trace element for the human body. The total amount of iron in the human body is about 4-5 grams. It is an important part of hemoglobin and is needed throughout the body. This mineral is present in red blood cells that supply oxygen to muscles. It is also a component of many enzymes and immune system compounds. The human body obtains most of the iron it needs from food and carefully controls the iron content. So, what can we eat to supplement iron? There are many foods that can supplement iron, which can be divided into the following two categories.

1. Animal food: animal liver, kidney, tongue, duck gizzard, squid, jellyfish, dried shrimp, lean meat, chicken, eggs, etc.

2. Plant foods: black fungus, kelp, soybeans, sesame, kelp, black fungus, spinach, seaweed, hair algae, shiitake mushrooms, soybeans, black beans, bean curd, red fermented bean curd, celery, shepherd's purse, dates, sunflower seeds, walnut kernels, etc.