The best iron supplement for low ferritin levels is going depend on each specific athlete and their nutrition views. Many smart and experienced people would say that eating a diet rich in foods, that provide good sources of iron, is the best way to raise your iron and ferritin levels. Some of those foods include meat while other include nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables.
Others might say that taking a heme form of iron is the quickest and most effective way of increasing your iron and ferritin levels. Keep in mind that heme iron supplements are derived from animals. Others that don't consume animals products might suggest a non-heme form of iron.
What I can say is that as a professional athlete I have had my blood tested numerous times to optimize my blood and my body for athletic performance. I use a super simple service called Athlete Blood Test to do this and here is a link to all my blood work posts where I post my actual iron test results, ferritin test results, and all my other blood biomarkers (testosterone, thyroid, you name it).
As you can see from those tests, I have been low on iron a few times and have used various supplements to increase my iron, sometimes almost too well. Too high of iron level can be just as bad or worse than too low so make sure if you take a lot of supplements to get your blood checked periodically. Regardless here are a few of my favorite iron sources that have proven to raise my own iron and ferritin levels effectively.
Heme Iron Supplement Recommendations - animal-based supplement, typically much more expensive but offers better bioavailability and is absorbed better to potentially raise levels faster.
- Proferrin ES Heme Iron Polypeptide
- Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Liver
Non-Heme Iron Supplement Recommendations - basic iron supplements not derived from animals. Less expensive but typically not absorbed as well heme iron.
- Amazon Elements Iron
- Nature's Made Iron
Iron Rich Foods
Others might say that taking a heme form of iron is the quickest and most effective way of increasing your iron and ferritin levels. Keep in mind that heme iron supplements are derived from animals. Others that don't consume animals products might suggest a non-heme form of iron.
What I can say is that as a professional athlete I have had my blood tested numerous times to optimize my blood and my body for athletic performance. I use a super simple service called Athlete Blood Test to do this and here is a link to all my blood work posts where I post my actual iron test results, ferritin test results, and all my other blood biomarkers (testosterone, thyroid, you name it).
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| Heme IronGrass Fed Beef Liver |
Heme Iron Supplement Recommendations - animal-based supplement, typically much more expensive but offers better bioavailability and is absorbed better to potentially raise levels faster.
- Proferrin ES Heme Iron Polypeptide
- Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Liver
Non-Heme Iron Supplement Recommendations - basic iron supplements not derived from animals. Less expensive but typically not absorbed as well heme iron.
- Amazon Elements Iron
- Nature's Made Iron
Iron Rich Foods
