Taking traditional iron supplements can have an uncomfortable, or even intolerable, impact on your stomach and digestion. I couldn’t handle the mega doses of traditional supplements that my doctors would routinely recommend; therefore, I sought out alternative methods to increase my iron intake. Here are my favorites!
Lucky Iron Fish
This cute little fish allows you to infuse your beverage or food with iron. Just boil your fish in a liquid (I used water), squeeze a tiny amount of a citric (I used lemon), cool it down, and ta-da! Iron infused water with a hint of lemon! Yes, the water does have a slight iron taste, but completely tolerable. The Canadian company also advertises other ways to infuse iron, such as using this little guy to infuse a homemade soup! According to their website, 1 liter of water = 6-8 mg iron and they recommend using at least 3x a week. Purchase your own Lucky Iron Fish.
Floradix Liquid Iron Supplement
This was hands down the easiest supplement on my stomach. I tried a couple of different liquid supplements, and this was the only one I could consume without gagging. Yes, prepare yourself…liquid iron does not taste good (but it is so gentle on your stomach!). Liquid iron is on the more expensive side and I felt so bad throwing the other brands away. I just couldn’t get them down! With this brand, I still took it like a shot and had a chaser that contained Vitamin C to help absorption and wash out the taste. Make sure whatever chaser you use doesn’t contain Calcium, which decreases iron absorption. This item needs to be refrigerated after opening.
One more item to note: it can temporarily stain your teeth. Make sure you don’t skip your dental cleanings, and truly slam it down like a shot so it doesn’t touch your teeth as long! 🙂 The pros definitely outweigh the cons on this item. Buy it at your local natural health store, or online at Natural Healthy Concepts ($23.49 for 8.5 oz).
Pro tip: Ask your doctor to write a prescription/fill out a FSA form for over-the-counter iron supplements, and you can use your Flex Savings Account (FSA) if you have one!
Vitamin Code Raw Iron
Sometimes the liquid iron and the Lucky Fish are too big of commitments for me when I am traveling. This is a phenomenal iron supplement that is very easy on my stomach and great for on the go. The downside (but also part of the reason it is so gentle) is that it only contains 22 mg of iron in one capsule which is on the low end for a supplement. It took me longer to increase my iron levels on this, but the mega dosing of a traditional supplement was too much for my gut. This is a great supplement to take for iron level maintenance as well. It also contains B12, folate, and vitamin c (which is built in for maximum absorption!). You can purchase this one at your local health store or online at my favorite store, Natural Healthy Concepts ( $11.89 for 30 capsules).
Pro tip: FSA eligible with a little extra work. See the previous supplement pro tip.
Cast Iron Cookware
Cooking with cast iron is probably the most mindless way to increase your iron intake. See the research online for yourself or read this journal or this study. I use my Lodge Cast Iron skillet for nearly everything I cook on the stove (and even the oven!). There is a small learning curve for how to cook with, clean and store cast iron cookware, but it’s completely worth the minimal effort. There are lots of brands of cast iron out there, but I have a favorite. Lodge Cast Iron is one of the more affordable quality cast iron brands, pre-seasoned, and made in the USA. You can purchase a Lodge Cast Iron product on Amazon or direct from the Lodge Cast Iron website (prices vary depending on item).
Iron Rich Foods
I recommend looking at a iron-rich food guide like this one (thanks Dietitians of Canada!). Make a plan on how to include some of those food items into your weekly food consumption. This is a very important method of increasing your iron intake since food tends to be easier to digest than traditional supplements. Unfortunately, I was having some undiagnosed food intolerances during my last long episode of iron issues, so I was not properly absorbing iron enough through food. Now that my intolerances are under control, my body is back to being able to absorb iron from food better. I make it a priority to find sustainable ways to implement iron rich foods into my diet.
Side note: During my last iron issues episode, my dietitian recommended I eat one serving of a cereal that was fortified with iron (like this specific kind of Cheerios that has 100% of your daily value of iron). That was my dietitian’s way of knowing I was at the very least getting a baseline of iron through my food. Interesting, right?
Disclaimer: Please always consult a medical professional regarding your individual health plan before incorporating a new method of iron intake. You never know how your individual situation may interact with these methods.
Iron Issues 