VoltraIron: who needs a supplement, and how to take it
Adults need 18 mg of iron a day for women aged 19 to 50 and 8 mg for men [1][2]. The people most likely to need a supplement are women with heavy periods: heavy menstrual bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency in women who menstruate [1][3].
Take a supplement if a qualified health provider recommends it [6], and not with tea, coffee, milk or calcium: take it an hour before or two hours after [2][3].
How much
Supplements of 45 mg a day or more can cause nausea and constipation [1].
Who's at risk
- Women with heavy periods, or heavy bleeding after childbirth [1][2][3].
- Worldwide, about 30% of women aged 15 to 49 are anaemic [6]. In the Gulf, the WHO's 2023 estimates for women of that age are 17.6% in Saudi Arabia, 23.6% in Qatar, 27.7% in Kuwait, 28.2% in the UAE, 34.4% in Oman and 38.4% in Bahrain [5].
- The WHO recommends iron for all menstruating women only where anaemia is at 40% or more [4]; every Gulf country is below that (our comparison), so in the Gulf, iron is for people a doctor finds need it.
How to take it so it absorbs
- Not with tea, coffee, calcium supplements or milk; take the tablets an hour before or two hours after them [2]. Dairy and calcium block iron absorption [3].
- If you take calcium and iron supplements, take them at different times of day [1][6].
- Iron is absorbed best, with the fewest side effects, when taken every other day [3].
In Voltra
Log iron tablets on the Eat tab, or ask the Coach to log them.
Frequently asked
How much iron do women need a day?
18 mg a day from age 19 to 50; men need 8 mg.
Should I take iron with tea or coffee?
No. Saudi Arabia's health ministry says not to take iron tablets with tea, coffee, calcium supplements or milk; take them an hour before or two hours after.
Why do heavy periods cause iron deficiency?
Heavy menstrual bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency in women who menstruate; see a doctor, who may recommend iron.
Is it better to take iron every day or every other day?
The MSD Manual says iron is absorbed best, with the fewest side effects, taken every other day.
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (2025). Iron: fact sheet for health professionals (updated 4 September 2025). Recommended intakes, groups at risk, interactions, health risks from excess.
- وزارة الصحة، المملكة العربية السعودية. فقر الدم الناجم عن نقص الحديد. In Arabic. Causes; advice for people with anaemia.
- دليل MSD الإرشادي، إصدار المستخدم. فقرُ الدَّم بعوز الحديد. In Arabic. Causes; treatment.
- World Health Organization (2016). Guideline: daily iron supplementation in adult women and adolescent girls. Recommendation and suggested scheme, pp. 2 and 6.
- World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory (2025). Prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age (15–49), 2023 estimates. Record dated 29 April 2025; modelled estimates with wide uncertainty ranges.
- منظمة الصحة العالمية (٢٠٢٣). فقر الدم (صحيفة وقائع). In Arabic. Treatment and prevention; self-care.
Sources checked on 30 September 2026.
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