Iron
Iron supplements in a range of forms and strengths, from NFH, Designs for Health, AOR, Jamieson and Webber Naturals. Shipping across Canada.
Gentle vs. standard iron
The most common reason people abandon an iron supplement is constipation or nausea — not lack of effect. The form makes a large difference:
- Iron bisglycinate — chelated and markedly gentler on digestion. Usually the first choice if standard iron has caused problems before.
- Ferrous fumarate / ferrous gluconate — well absorbed, lower cost, more likely to cause stomach upset.
- Ferrous sulfate — the traditional form. Effective and inexpensive, but the hardest on digestion.
- Liquid iron — easier to dose flexibly and often better tolerated, though the taste divides opinion.
Getting more from your iron
Absorption varies a lot with how you take it:
- Vitamin C helps considerably. Many iron formulas include it; otherwise take iron with citrus or a vitamin C supplement.
- Tea, coffee, calcium and dairy reduce absorption. Leave a couple of hours between these and your dose.
- Every-other-day dosing is increasingly recommended over daily, as it can improve absorption and reduce side effects.
Iron needs differ substantially by age, sex and life stage — menstruating and pregnant women have higher requirements than most adults.
Related categories
See also Multivitamins, Vitamin B, Vitamin C and Minerals.
Iron is worth confirming before supplementing. Low energy has many causes, and iron overload carries its own risks, so a blood test is the sensible starting point. Iron also interacts with thyroid medication and some antibiotics. Keep iron supplements out of reach of children — iron overdose is a leading cause of poisoning in young children.
