Being low in iron is no joke. It can leave you looking pale and feeling wiped out, weak, short of breath, lightheaded, and like you’re living inside a refrigerator. Women of baby-making age are extra susceptible to these woes since they lose blood every month, but anyone can become low in iron—that includes you, gentlemen! Other vulnerable groups include vegetarians, African-Americans, and Latinos, since their dietary intake of iron is typically low.
How to get more iron
You would think that eating foods rich in iron—such as red meat, beans, lentils, and spinach—would solve the problem. But iron levels can be hard to budge through diet alone. That’s why many health care practitioners recommend taking an iron supplement if you’re low in this essential mineral.
If you’re like most folks, you don’t give much thought to the kind of iron you’re taking. Iron is iron, right? Nope! Iron comes in different forms, and which one you take affects how much you absorb. Not only that, taking the wrong kind of iron can upset your tummy and back you up. Yikes!
So which form of iron is best?
A study published in an Italian gynecological journal looked at that very question.<1> Researchers recruited 40 iron-deficient pregnant women and women who had recently given birth. They were interested in these women because pregnancy often leaves ladies low in iron. Why? Because when you’re making a baby, you’re also making more blood to support your growing peapod, and all that extra blood requires extra iron.
The researchers had the study volunteers take four different forms of iron for a month to see how effective each was at raising their blood iron levels. The forms tested were: liquid ferrous gluconate, solid ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulphate, and ferric protein succinylate.
One form surpassed the others
All four forms of iron did what they were supposed to do: improve red blood cell count, hemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen), hematocrit (the percentage of your blood made of red blood cells), and blood iron levels. But one form—liquid ferrous gluconate—required a lower dose to be effective than the others, pointing to its superior absorption.
Even more important, liquid ferrous gluconate was the only form of iron that produced no side effects. In all three other groups, 10 to 20 percent of the women dropped out of the experiment because of gastrointestinal discomfort. Who could blame them for that?
One more reason to love Floradix
A supplement only works if you’re willing to take it. And let’s be real: You’re not going to take something if it upsets your tummy or leaves you stuck in the bathroom. That’s why Floradix is made with liquid ferrous gluconate, along with whole food concentrates and B and C vitamins (plus rosehips) to further aid absorption.
All this has made Floradix the best-selling iron supplement in North America. We’re proud it’s the first choice of naturopaths and midwives for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s also a good choice for anyone who needs more iron. Best of all, Floradix comes in a tasty juice made of fruits and vegetables that makes it easy to take, and it’s free of dairy, lactose, alcohol, artificial additives, preservatives, and GMOs.
Drink up!
References
<1> Casparis D, et al.. Minerva Ginecol. 1996 Nov;48(11):511-8.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
