How long should I wait between taking iron and calcium tablets

Calcium and iron are the two most indispensable elements in our body. When our body lacks these two elements, we will find that our complexion will soon become sallow and we will feel listless. Especially for some pregnant women and children, eating these elements is harmful to the growth and development of the body. So how long should we wait before taking calcium and iron tablets?

How long should I wait between taking iron tablets and calcium tablets?

In order to prevent iron deficiency anemia, patients should generally choose calcium supplements as their first choice. When oral calcium supplements are needed, they must be taken on an empty stomach or before bedtime to avoid inhibiting the absorption of iron in food.

For patients who need to take iron supplements to treat anemia, iron supplements should be taken separately from calcium supplements and not taken at the same time to avoid affecting the absorption of iron. For example, iron supplements can be taken after meals mainly to reduce side effects, and calcium supplements can be taken before bedtime, which can make the calcium absorbed better.

Best time to take iron supplements

It is best not to take iron supplements on an empty stomach, so it is best to take iron supplements between meals to reduce irritation to the stomach and intestines. However, it is possible to be on an empty stomach between meals, so it is best to take the medicine half an hour after a meal. At this time, you generally will not have a strong feeling of fullness, and the food in the stomach has not been completely digested. This can ensure that the gastric mucosa is not irritated and is conducive to absorption.

The following are some precautions for taking oral iron supplements:

1. Principles of iron supplementation

Iron is a trace element and should be supplemented in trace amounts according to the principle. It should be started with a small dose. It is not advisable to supplement with iron supplements that have too high an iron content. This type of nutritional supplement may seem to have a high content, but in fact the body's absorption is limited. Excessive supplementation will cause absorption obstacles, resulting in half the result with twice the effort, and may even cause an absorption burden, which will not be worth the effort.

2. How to take iron supplements orally?

When taking iron supplements orally, you should place the medicine on the surface of the tongue and drink it directly down with water. Do not chew the medicine because the iron element will react and easily cause black teeth, affecting the appearance. I don’t know if it’s the iron supplement, but many liquid iron supplements are like this, which can easily lead to black teeth.

3. How long should I take iron supplements?

There are two types of iron in the human body, one is mobile iron and the other is storage iron. Generally, the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia proves that the storage iron is insufficient. If you want to supplement iron, you must consider both mobile iron and storage iron. Taking iron supplements, such as Tiezhiyuan tablets, will generally significantly increase hemoglobin in one month and can cure anemia. However, in order to consolidate the effect and prevent anemia from recurring, it is best to take supplements for 2-3 months, which will achieve the best effect.