Use an Iron Bisglycinate form for better absorption and less constipation, not Ferrous Sulfate.
The Gentle Iron
My doctor told me I was anemic and prescribed the standard Ferrous Sulfate. It was a nightmare. It felt like swallowing rocks and left me horribly constipated. I thought this was just the price of getting my iron levels up. Then a pharmacist told me about Iron Bisglycinate. It’s a chelated form, where the iron is bound to an amino acid, making it incredibly gentle on the stomach and highly absorbable. I switched, and the constipation vanished completely. I was finally able to take my iron without the miserable side effects.
Stop supplementing with iron unless you have a confirmed deficiency via a blood test. Do not guess.
The Iron Rule
I was feeling tired and read online that fatigue could be a sign of low iron. I was about to buy a bottle and start supplementing. Thankfully, I decided to get a blood test first. It turned out my iron levels were perfectly normal, and my fatigue was from something else. I had almost made a very dangerous mistake. Excess iron is toxic and can cause serious organ damage. This is the absolute golden rule: never, ever supplement with iron unless you have seen a blood test that confirms you are deficient. Do not guess.
Stop taking iron with coffee, tea, or calcium supplements. Do take it with Vitamin C to enhance absorption.
The Absorption Equation
I was dutifully taking my iron pill every morning with my breakfast and my coffee. My iron levels were barely budging. I was making a classic mistake. The tannins in coffee and tea, and the presence of calcium, can dramatically block the absorption of iron. I learned the new absorption equation. I started taking my iron in the middle of the afternoon, on an empty stomach, with a small glass of orange juice. The Vitamin C in the juice can increase iron absorption by up to 300%. The timing and the company it keeps are everything.
The #1 secret for women with unexplained fatigue that doctors often miss is a low ferritin (iron storage) level.
The Ferritin Factor
For years, I complained to my doctor about my crushing fatigue. He would run a standard blood panel, tell me my hemoglobin and hematocrit were “normal,” and send me home. The secret he was missing was the ferritin test. Ferritin is your body’s stored iron. My ability to make blood cells was fine, but my “warehouse” of iron was completely empty. My body was living paycheck to paycheck. When I finally got my ferritin tested, it was shockingly low. Restoring it was the key that finally solved my lifelong fatigue.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about fatigue is that it’s normal to feel exhausted all the time.
The New Normal Myth
Our culture normalizes exhaustion, especially for women. We’re taught that it’s just part of being a busy mom, a working professional, a modern human. We accept a state of constant, bone-crushing fatigue as our new normal. This is a lie. That level of exhaustion is not normal. It is often a sign of a correctable, underlying biochemical issue, and one of the most common is iron deficiency. You don’t have to be tired all the time. You deserve to feel vital.
I wish I knew that my chronic fatigue, pale skin, and breathlessness were classic signs of iron-deficiency anemia.
The Textbook Case
I was a textbook case, and I had no idea. I was so tired I could barely function. My skin was pale and my friends commented on it. I would get breathless just walking up a flight of stairs. I thought I was just out of shape and stressed. I wish someone had shaken me and told me that these were the three classic, screaming signs of iron-deficiency anemia. The solution was so simple—a blood test and an iron supplement—and it was staring me right in the face, but I didn’t know how to read the signs.
I’m just going to say it: Blindly supplementing with iron is dangerous. Get tested first.
The Iron Danger
There is no supplement more dangerous to take blindly than iron. It’s not like Vitamin C, where your body just excretes what it doesn’t need. Iron is a pro-oxidant, and excess iron is stored in your organs—your liver, your heart, your pancreas—where it can cause severe damage and disease over time. The only way to know if you need it is to know your numbers. To take it without testing is to play a reckless game of Russian roulette with your long-term health.
99% of people make this one mistake when taking iron: taking it with their morning coffee, which blocks its absorption.
The Coffee Curse
It’s the most common mistake, and it renders the supplement almost useless. A person is told they need to take iron. The most convenient time is in the morning with breakfast. But what do most people have with their breakfast? Coffee or tea. They don’t realize that the compounds in their morning brew are powerful iron blockers. They are swallowing their pill and then immediately swallowing the antidote. They are caught in a frustrating cycle of non-absorption, all because of a simple timing error.
This one habit of eating iron-rich foods with a source of vitamin C will change your energy levels forever.
The Food Synergy
I was trying to get my iron up, but I preferred to do it with food. I started a new, simple habit. When I ate an iron-rich food like steak or lentils, I would make sure to pair it with a high-Vitamin C food. I’d squeeze a lemon over my lentils. I’d have a side of red bell peppers with my steak. This food synergy was incredibly powerful. The Vitamin C unlocked the iron in the food, making it dramatically more bioavailable. My energy levels soared, all thanks to a simple, intelligent food pairing.
If you’re still taking ferrous sulfate and suffering from constipation, you’re losing your comfort and can switch to a better form.
The Constipation Compromise
You’re told you have to take iron, so you take the cheap, standard-issue ferrous sulfate. And you suffer. The constipation and stomach pain are so bad that you often stop taking the very supplement you need. You are making a compromise that you don’t have to make. You are losing your daily comfort for the sake of your iron levels. By switching to a gentler, chelated form like iron bisglycinate, you can have both. You can get the iron you need without sacrificing your digestive well-being.