FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

READER'S UNABSORBED IRON PILLS ARE NOT A PROBLEM

Question: I took vitamin E, vitamin C and iron for several years until about one year ago. I quit taking them because the iron tablets were coming straight through me. I haven't seen any in my bowel movements for several months now, but I know more of them are still in me. I've thrown out the bottle, and I don't have the manufacturer's address, so I've written you. When will I pass the rest of the iron pills, and what will having those pills in me do to my health?

Answer: The human body requires a variety of nutrients to stay healthy. The best way to get these is by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables to provide the water soluble vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals and some proteins. While some vegetables contain iron, red meat is a particularly good source of this nutrient. Eating a variety of foods is important, because one fruit, vegetable or any single food source doesn't provide all the nutrients we need.

Some individuals need supplemental vitamins and minerals, such as the vitamin E, vitamin C and the iron that you took. This could be necessary because of an inadequate diet or because of a specific health condition that makes it difficult to eat certain foods or to absorb adequate amounts of nutrients from these foods.

Pregnant women and nursing moms have increased nutritional needs and should take vitamin and mineral supplements. Most individuals, however, consume these products because they have been influenced by advertising designed to sell those products rather than taking them because they truly need them. I suspect that you fall into this last group. Fortunately, the risk associated from taking vitamins one doesn't truly need is quite small. The body is able to eliminate most of the excess without difficulty. The widespread use of vitamin supplements has certainly done more good than it has done harm.

All the foods we consume, including vitamin and mineral supplements, are acted upon in the digestive tract where they are broken down to be absorbed into the body or eliminated in the bowel movement. As you noted, all medicines aren't dissolved and then absorbed as the manufacturer planned. Some of the iron tablets passed through your digestive tract intact. You clearly gained no benefit from this iron, but it also did no harm.

The time required for food to pass completely through the digestive tract is call the gastrointestinal (GI) transit time. This can be as short as a few minutes when illness is present. Normally, though, GI transit time ranges from a few hours to as long as two days. You are needlessly concerned about iron tablets remaining in you. They are no longer with you. In fact, most of them probably dissolved and were absorbed as they are designed to do. Therefore, there never was an identifiable tablet in the bowel movement from these. Only the few you noticed that didn't dissolve passed through intact.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.