Iron Supplement

Iron is essential for the formation of red blood cells.

 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has determined that the prevalence of iron deficiency is greatest among toddlers (7% of those ages 1-2 years) and menstruating adolescent and adult females (9-16 % of individuals ages 12-49, whether they are athletes or not.

 

An iron deficiency can manifest as weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion, dizziness, tinnitus, spots before the eyes, drowsiness, irritability, infrequent menstruation, and loss of libido.* Athletes need approximately 1.5 times as much Iron as non-athletes.

Those who follow a vegetarian or lower protein diets may have needs as high as 1.8 times as much dietary iron. Blood loss from injury and muscle damage, as well as GI bleeding associated with extreme endurance activities, can further decrease the body’s iron stores.

 

❌ Avoid Conventional Iron

Conventional iron supplementation, including forms such as ferrous sulfate, can cause gastrointestinal side effects – including nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and dark-colored stools – because these conventional forms of iron are poorly absorbed.

 

Safer Forms:

Iron Bisglycinate: elemental iron per capsule that has been reacted with glycine for optimal absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, thus helping to decrease the typical gastrointestinal side effects.*

Ferrasorb®: Individuals who have a greater need for iron, or who tend to chronically lose iron, or who don’t absorb iron well, can benefit from a formula that can increase the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, such as Ferrasorb®.* Studies indicate that combining iron with essential B vitamins and vitamin C is superior to using these nutrients individually.* Ferrasorb combines the active forms of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5′-phosphate), vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin), and folate (L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate) with well-absorbed iron bisglycinate – for an optimal blood-building supplement.* Vitamin C is added to enhance iron absorption.