補鐵揀咩好？教你精明揀「鐵」 What is the best iron supplement?
「藥劑師，醫生叫我買鐵丸食，有咩好介紹呢？」
“Hello Pharmacist, my doctor asked me to take an iron supplement. Do you have any recommendation?”
首先我哋要清楚服用鐵丸嘅目的，再選擇合適嘅劑量。成年男性每日需要大概 8 毫克鐵，而成年女性就大概 18 毫克。呢個只係參考數字，當中包含咗膳食攝取，所以實際需求係因人而異㗎。如果係缺鐵性貧血，一日要補充 150 毫克至 200 毫克左右鐵質，劑量會比較大㗎。
Before choosing an iron supplement, it is important to understand your body’s needs first. The recommended daily iron intake for men and women can vary, ranging from 8 mg per day for men to 18 mg per day for women. However, a person’s iron needs largely depend on his/her own health and medical conditions. For example, those with iron-deficiency anemia may need supplementation of up to 150 mg to 200 mg of iron per day. So before choosing an iron supplement, you should seek the advice of a healthcare professional to assess your body’s iron needs.
第二就係了解服用的劑型及化學鹽。劑型有藥丸，咀嚼片，藥水同針劑。如果無特別原因我哋會揀口服劑型，當中藥水比藥丸更易調較劑量，但價錢會貴啲。而大家揀鐵丸嘅時候都要留意下，唔同嘅化學鹽係會有唔同嘅鐵含量㗎。常見嘅化學鹽有硫酸亞鐵（Ferrous Sulphate），325 毫克硫酸亞鐵藥丸有 65 毫克嘅元素鐵。以缺鐵性貧血嘅劑量（150 至 200 毫克元素鐵）為例，一日需要服用大約 3 粒喇。
The next step is to know more about the available formulations and chemical forms of iron supplements. Iron supplements are available as tablets, chewable tablets, syrups, and injections. In most cases, oral formulations are preferred over injectables due to their ease of use. You may notice iron supplements are available in several chemical forms, where the sulphate form (which can be found labelled as “ferrous sulphate” in the ingredients list) is the most common as it provides the most elemental iron per tablet. For example, a 325 mg ferrous sulphate
tablet can provide 65 mg of elemental iron.
最後就係要留意服用嘅方法同可能出現嘅副作用。因為食物會影響鐵質吸收，我地一般建議空肚服用，如果出現太多腸胃副作用例如便秘、胃痛等等，可以喺餐後服用。若果副作用依然太多，可以考慮隔日食㗎。如果大家對補充鐵質有任何問題，歡迎到社區藥房問下藥劑師嘅意見。
Lastly, taking the supplement correctly will ensure you can achieve the best results from iron supplementation. Iron supplements are best taken on an empty stomach for maximal absorption. However, iron supplements are also well-known for causing gastrointestinal discomfort, such as abdominal pain, constipation, black tarry stools, etc. In such case, taking it with food can ameliorate these side effects. We hope the above tips can give you some insight on how to select a suitable iron supplement. If you have any further questions regarding iron supplementation, we welcome you to consult our pharmacists.
屈臣氏藥劑師團隊
Watsons Pharmacy Team
