Items that can increase the body’s absorption of non-heme iron include: plant-based compounds called polyphenols, including tannins (found in tea, wine, fruits, vegetables, nuts).phytates, found in legumes and whole grains.Items that can decrease the body’s absorption of non-heme iron include: Your doctor might also recommend that you take your iron supplement with a glass of orange juice because vitamin C improves the absorption of iron. Unfortunately, many people find that iron upsets their stomachs, so they take iron with meals to try and offset side effects such as nausea. The reason you should take iron on an empty stomach without food is that an acidic stomach helps with iron absorption. Ideally, most iron supplements should not be taken with food. Since oral iron products may interfere with absorption of certain antibiotics, these products should not be taken within two hours of each other. The no-food guideline is true for non-heme forms of iron, including ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate the exception to the rule is a heme iron supplement, such as Feosol Complete with Bifera, which combines heme and non-heme in one pill! Feosol Complete is versatile and can be taken with or without food. Many people like to take their iron supplement with an “iron booster” like orange juice. On the flip side, citrus items, such as lemonade, can increase your iron absorption. Consider this fact next time you are about to pop an iron pill right before breakfast: taking your iron supplement with food may decrease how much iron is absorbed by the body by up to 50 percent! There is a long list of foods, such as coffee, tea or milk, which interfere with the absorption of ferrous iron.
Iron supplements are best taken with water on an empty stomach. In most cases, the best time to take iron supplements is about one hour before or two hours after meals. The special, patented formula in Feosol Complete maximizes iron absorption while minimizing GI side effects. On the other hand, Feosol ® Natural Release with carbonyl iron is absorbed by your body at a rate that is naturally regulated in your intestinal tract, so it may be gentler.Īll three Feosol iron supplements are designed so that all the iron you need is in one small pill, taken once a day.įeosol Natural Release is a great iron alternative for those concerned about upset stomach.įeosol Complete is a great choice for those with a sensitive system as it minimizes side effects such as constipation and nausea. Ferrous sulfate, the most common form of iron, is commonly recommended by doctors at a dose of 325 mg, which is equal to 65 mg of elemental iron, but for some people its absorption is accompanied by upset stomach. We get it.īecause there are several forms of iron – which most people don’t even know – with different dosages, comparing iron supplements is not like comparing apples to apples.Įach form of iron is absorbed differently by your body. Standing at the supplement shelf in the drug store, you may find that selecting an iron supplement is both confusing and frustrating. How much iron you need depends on you! Factors to consider include: your current iron levels (determined by blood tests), the form of iron you take (if you are taking an iron supplement) and your eating habits while taking iron.