Iron Fructo-Oligosaccharides

Why You Need It

• Gentle on the Stomach: Unlike traditional iron salts, it significantly reduces nausea and constipation.
• Superior Absorption: It uses a unique pathway to be absorbed more efficiently by your intestines.
• Gut Health Boost: The FOS component acts as a prebiotic, feeding your good gut bacteria.
• Higher Hemoglobin: It effectively raises red blood cell counts to fight fatigue.

Deep Dive

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world. However, many people stop taking supplements because of side effects like black stools, cramping, and constipation. Iron Fructo-Oligosaccharides (Fe-FOS) solves this by masking the metallic taste and reducing irritation. Studies suggest that the FOS moiety (the carbohydrate part) helps transport the iron directly into the intestinal wall via specific transporters (GLUT5), bypassing the competitive inhibition that usually causes digestive distress. It is a 'whole-body' approach: you get the energy boost of iron and the microbiome support of a prebiotic.

Natural Food Sources

While you cannot find 'Iron Fructo-Oligosaccharides' as a whole food (it is created in a lab to mimic nature's synergy), you can get the components separately. You get Iron from animal and plant sources, and FOS from specific vegetables and fruits.

Supplementation

Dosage: Typical clinical dosages range from 15mg to 30mg of elemental iron (bound to FOS) per day.

Who should take it:

• Women with heavy periods.
• Vegetarians/Vegans (due to lower absorption of plant-based iron).
• Athletes (high oxygen demand).
• Individuals with sensitive stomachs who cannot tolerate ferrous sulfate.

Usage: It is best absorbed on an empty stomach or with a small amount of vitamin C (like a glass of orange juice). However, if you experience mild discomfort, taking it with a small meal is acceptable.