What is the Best Iron Supplement is a very serious question that is not easy to answer and which those of us with difficult to treat anemia or those who get gastrointestinal problems when taking iron supplements have had a difficult time answering. There are a lot of different iron preparations on the market, and it can be very confusing trying to wade through all of the different supplements and trying to figure out which one is the Best Iron Supplement. The fact that most iron preparations have to be taken at specific times of day and only with certain foods makes this even more difficult.
I was in the same boat, and could not resolve my anemia or bring my iron levels up with oral supplements. My ferritin level was at a 4 ng/mL (30.00 – 70.00), my iron level was a 15 µg/dl (normal 85.00 – 130.00) , my transferrin saturation was 7% (normal 20-35%), and I was quite severely anemic, with low hemoglobin and hematocrit. These numbers simply would not budge even after taking high dose iron supplements for several months. My own research into anemia and iron supplements was what caused me to write this site. I’m a nurse and the information I was finding was a lot more complex than my 15 years of being a nurse and 5 years of doing alternative health had prepared me for, so I decided to write this site in order to make this information more easily understood for those suffering from iron poor blood and iron deficiency anemia.
My Quest for the Best Iron Supplement
Once I got involved in my own iron deficiency, I started trying to figure out what would be the best iron supplement possible, and this means with the best absorption and the fewest stomach problems. This was not an easy task. It quite literally took hundreds of hours of research, as well as serious self experimentation. I never knew how complicated it would be to figure this out. A very frustrating task as well, since it seemed that nothing was very good. A few supplements did better in studies than others, but not by much.
They all seemed mostly the same. I tried a few out and nothing helped any better than others, and some caused either nausea or constipation. Not a lot of options. In fact, the options were terrible. Now, over 6 months had gone by since I found out my iron level were really low, and they hadn’t budged. I was getting desperate.
I Finally Found Liposomal Iron
At some point, I found a reference to Liposomal Iron What was that? I hadn’t heard of it before. Turns out liposomal iron is a completely different iron preparation from other irons. Looking into it, I found two studies that compared it head to head with intravenous iron. Wow, all of the other iron studies I’d seen compared their supplements with other oral supplements, not intravenous iron. So, I looked into it, and the two studies I found were of high quality comparing two groups. And what they found was heartening:
- “Oral liposomal iron… seems to be safe, feasible, and substantially not inferior to intravenous iron support…” 1
- Our study shows that oral liposomal iron is a safe and efficacious alternative to IV iron gluconate to correct anaemia” 2
But what is liposomal iron? It’s iron that is produced in such a way that the particle size is extremely small, actually microscopic sized, and each particle is encased in a fatty substance called a phospholipid. The phospholipid structure prevents the iron from being destroyed, both by things like environmental conditions such as heat and light while still in the bottle, and while in the stomach from stomach acids. This allows the actual molecule of iron to get to the small intestine where it’s going and be absorbed.
Once the iron gets to the small intestine, the extremely small iron particle size causes an massive increase in the surface area of iron in contact with the small intestinal surface, which allows for far better absorption than any other iron supplements 3.
Here’s a paper explaining the Liposomal Encapsulation Technology and why this is such a leap forward in iron absorption technology that iron taken by mouth as a supplement now can compare favorably to intravenous iron! Additionally, it might possibly be the only iron supplements that people suffering from anemia of chronic disease and athletic-induced anemia can absorb. While not tested specifically on bariatric patients (those who have had stomach stapling surgeries), it is logical to believe that liposomal iron may be better absorbed by this population than any other supplements.
Another Reason Liposomal Iron is the Best Iron Supplement
One other extremely important benefit to liposomal iron over other iron formulations is that it does not induce a condition called oxidative stress like other iron supplements do. 4. Oxidative stress is the physiologic stress damage that occurs in the body that causes cellular damage and aging. This is particularly important for those who already have serious chronic health problems, such as those with kidney failure. This benefit alone should tip the scales towards liposomal iron over all other iron preparations.
Since the side effects are minimal in the studies, I decided to try it, but I could not find a formulation anywhere! I finally found some on an obscure website at exorbitant prices. But I was desperate, and so paid the crazy prices and began to take it. After two months I tested my iron and ferritin again and it began to come up… finally! My ferritin was a 6 ng/mL and my iron was a 26 µg/dl, almost a 50% increase! While still unreasonably low, that was an enormous improvement for me. I was going in the right direction. Maybe this was going to be the best iron supplement after all. After about 2 more months, my ferritin was up to almost 9 ng/mL, my iron was a 71 µg/dl, my transferrin saturation was a normal 23% and my hemoglobin and hematocrit were so high that I was not only not anemic any longer, but I had to cut back on the iron!
Eventually, I found that I cannot store iron, so my ferritin levels will not budge from a level of 8-9 no matter how good my other blood work looks (this may not be a bad thing, and could even have health benefits, and could possibly be why the women in my family live so long), but my iron levels are up and my hemoglobin and hematocrit are normal now because of liposomal iron supplements, which I believe is the best iron supplement. Fortunately, I am now able to offer Vinco Liposomal Iron Supplements on my site at far more reasonable prices than I was able to purchase it when I needed it, and I’m hopeful you’ll have the same good results I had taking them- at prices comparable to regular iron supplements. You really can’t go wrong.
For even better iron absorption, see why Vitamin C for Iron Absorption along with liposomal iron is the best way to get the absolute most from your iron and help to resolve even the most difficult cases of anemia.
See More About Vinco Liposomal Iron
Liposomal Iron 2oz Liquid (60 ml)
$19.99
Vinco Liposomal Iron 2 fl oz, Chocolate Flavored Liquid is really the Best Iron Supplement as you can read on that page. Absorption of liposomal iron raises blood levels of iron and hemoglobin as good as intravenous iron. For anyone who has difficulty absorbing iron, such as those with anemia unresponsive to regular iron supplements, those who have had weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery), or for those who have required intravenous iron to manage their anemia, liposomal iron could change your life.
Description
Vinco Liposomal Iron 2 fl oz, Chocolate Flavored Liquid is really the Best Iron Supplement as you can read on that page. Absorption of liposomal iron raises blood levels of iron and hemoglobin as good as intravenous iron in 2 different studies comparing the two types of iron head to head (1) while gastrointestinal side effects are extremely minimal or nonexistent in most people. Liposomal nutrients have not only been made by making the particles incredibly small for better absorption, but those particles are coated in a fatty acid called a phospholipid that reduces stomach upset and prevents the iron from being damaged by stomach acids so that the important iron molecule gets exactly where it’s supposed to go to be absorbed, the small intestine.
For anyone who has difficulty absorbing iron, such as those with anemia unresponsive to regular iron supplements, those who have had weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery), or for those who have required intravenous iron to manage their anemia, liposomal iron could change your life. Liposomal iron was a lifesaver for me, and I suspect it will be for you too. You might never want to use any other supplement ever again after getting the results thousands (including me) have reported with liposomal iron.
Here are what the studies are saying:
- “Oral liposomal iron… seems to be safe, feasible, and substantially not inferior to intravenous iron support…”
Intravenous iron support vs oral liposomal iron - “Our study shows that oral liposomal iron is a safe and efficacious alternative to IV iron gluconate to correct anaemia”
Effect of oral liposomal iron versus intravenous iron for treatment of iron deficiency anaemia
Just one dropper (1 ml) provides 25 mg of iron, which would supply most people with anemia their daily dose of iron. Since this has 60 ml, that means that one bottle will last the average person for 2 months. At less than $20 a bottle, that means that your iron supplement costs will total about $10 a month! Considering this is seriously the best iron supplement on the market, you simply can’t go wrong. My own anemia was finally remedied with Liposomal Iron, and I think you’ll find it as powerful an iron supplement as I did.
Combine this with our Powdered Vitamin C for best absorption. See our page on Vitamin C for Improved Iron Absorption to learn more about how these two nutrients work together synergistically.
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