Australians buying ‘iron supplements’ containing little more iron than a slice of bread, experts warn

A ‘proliferation’ of ‘useless’ iron products is being sold in supermarkets and online, pharmacy experts say. Photograph: Strauss/Curtis/Getty Images

Prof Geraldine Moses was speaking to a nurse who told her something concerning: patients with kidney failure were taking “iron supplements” that contained almost no iron.

Patients on kidney dialysis often need iron supplements because the disease reduces the body’s ability to produce red blood cells, leading to iron deficiency and anaemia.