05/22/2026
For years, I thought I was helping women with low iron the right way.
Like many providers, I was taught the standard protocol:
Ferrous sulfate. Vitamin C. Recheck labs in a few months.
Simple. Routine. Evidence-based — or so I thought.
But over time, I started noticing a pattern.
Women would come back still exhausted.
Still losing hair.
Still struggling through workouts.
Still feeling short of breath, foggy, cold, anxious, or just “not themselves.”
And almost every conversation sounded the same:
“I stopped taking it because it tore up my stomach.”
“It made me so constipated.”
“I was taking it faithfully and my numbers barely changed.”
Honestly? I used to think that was just part of iron treatment. An unfortunate but normal tradeoff.
Until I started digging deeper into the research.
What I realized is that many women aren’t necessarily failing iron supplements — they may simply be taking a form that their bodies don’t tolerate or absorb very well.
Traditional ferrous sulfate has been around forever because it’s inexpensive and widely available. But it’s also notorious for GI side effects, and many patients either stop taking it or struggle to absorb enough consistently to significantly rebuild ferritin stores.
That sent me down a rabbit hole studying newer forms of iron and the nutrients involved in actually restoring iron stores — not just increasing intake.
And what I found changed the way I approach iron deficiency completely.
Forms like iron bisglycinate tend to be much gentler on the stomach and may be better tolerated by many patients. But beyond that, iron metabolism is more complex than just “take iron.”
Your body also relies on nutrients like:
• Vitamin C
• B vitamins (especially B6, B12, and folate)
• Copper
• Adequate protein and amino acids
…to properly utilize and store iron.
That matters because so many women are walking around with:
• low ferritin
• chronic fatigue
• hair shedding
• exercise intolerance
• poor recovery
• brain fog
…and being told their labs are “fine” or that they just need to keep taking the same supplement longer.
Now, when I work with women dealing with low ferritin or iron deficiency, I look at the entire picture:
absorption, cofactors, inflammation, nutrition, menstrual losses, gut health, and whether they’re actually tolerating what they’re taking.
And the difference has been significant.
Women who couldn’t tolerate iron before are finally staying consistent.
Ferritin levels improve faster.
Energy improves.
Hair loss slows.
They feel better — not just “slightly less anemic.”
This isn’t medical advice, and not every form of iron is right for every person. Some patients absolutely still need prescription iron or infusions.
But if you’ve been taking iron for months and still feel awful, it may be worth looking deeper than “just take more iron.”
Sometimes the issue isn’t effort.
Sometimes it’s the form, the absorption, or the missing pieces no one explained.
Here's a link to an iron supplement that I have been using with my patients and loving the results!
