Question

Where do you get the iron that you use in iron dietary supplement?

Answer 1

There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and nonheme. Heme iron is derived from hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells. Heme iron is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Iron in plant foods such as lentils and beans is arranged in a chemical structure called nonheme iron. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. Heme iron is absorbed better than nonheme iron, but most dietary iron is nonheme iron.

Answer 2

Iron for supplements tend to be derived from salts (since this can be done quickly and easily in lab/factory) more info here:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

Look for "Some facts about iron Supplements" section