Great Spirit Iron Restore liquid iron supplement poured into a measuring spoon to support iron absorption and low iron levels.

Let’s Talk About Iron: What You Need to Know About Improving Low Iron Levels

For most of my life, I’ve been anaemic - so iron deficiency is a topic that’s close to my heart.

Believe it or not, after working with hundreds of iron-deficient women over the past eight years, I can often tell when someone’s iron is low just by sitting across the table from them.

One of the easiest visual clues? The sclera (whites of the eyes) can take on a very faint blue tinge when iron levels drop and oxygen levels fall. (If you’re curious, look up anaemic hypoxia - it’s fascinating!)

I have a photo of me taken at kindergarten, and when you zoom into the sclera, you can very clearly see a blue tone. I was 3 years old and already iron deficient. 

Whilst improving your iron intake through food sources is always the best plan due to superior bioavailability, for some people with a compromised digestive system it may simply not be enough.

If you're not digesting food properly and you're experiencing absorption issues, food alone is not going to cut it. In these cases, you will need some extra help.

Supplementation is not my first go-to when minerals are lacking, however there are times when it is needed whilst we work on correcting digestion and diet.

Why I Stock Different Types of Iron

When it comes to iron, it is important to understand some key points:

  • Not all iron is the same
  • Not everyone responds to iron the same way
  • Your body interacts with different forms of iron in completely different ways
  • There are important cofactors that are required to support iron absorption, (like vitamin A, C, B2, B6, B12 and copper for example)

There are also two types of iron: 

  • Heme iron comes from animal sources
  • Non-heme iron comes from plant sources

And, here's what 8+ years of working with hundreds of iron deficient women have taught me: BLOOD TYPE PLAYS A ROLE.

  • O Positive/Negative: generally do better with heme (animal-based) iron
  • A Positive/Negative: typically respond better to non-heme, plant-based iron
  • AB Negative: more aligned with non-heme iron
  • AB Positive, B Positive/Negative: often tolerate a mix of both forms

What Actually Influences Iron Absorption

Whilst your blood type influences what type of iron is best, there are many factors that determine your body's ability to absorb and utilise iron effectively.

Key factors include:

  • Gut health
  • Stomach acid levels
  • Vitamin C intake
  • Mineral Interactions (like Copper)
  • Inflammation
  • Hormones
  • Your individual biochemistry

This is why you cannot follow what everyone else is doing because it may not work for you and you may end up just wasting time and money, all while not being able to get out of bed in the morning.

LOW IRON = FATIGUE!

Foundational Steps to Improve Iron Levels

You cannot supplement your way out of a bad diet or a poor lifestyle.

There’s little point supplementing if you’re not also addressing the basics of improving your body’s ability to process, absorb and utilise iron. Otherwise, all you’re really doing is creating very expensive urine, because your body needs to process a supplement in the same way it processes food.

Here are some foundational, evidence-based steps to support healthy iron levels:

  • Correct gut function to improve absorption
  • Clear the bowels to support absorption
  • Reduce iron-blocking foods like sugar and caffeine
  • Improve hydration to help reduce inflammation
  • Consistently include iron-rich foods in your diet
  • Choose supplements based on what works for your body (including blood type)

The most important takeaway here is to recheck your bloods within 3 months of actively working on your iron levels to make sure you’re moving in the right direction, because it would be silly to wait an entire year only to discover that your efforts didn’t work. Progress checks along the way will serve you greatly!

Practitioner-Approved Iron Supplements I Currently Stock

For clients needing iron support, here's what I stock:

If you’d like to try one of the first two products - both of which work exceptionally well for many of my clients - you can shop them here:

Shop Iron Supplements

Back to blog