Q. What is the purpose of an Iron supplement?
A.Iron is a mineral that your body needs to produce red blood cells. When the body does not get enough iron, you cannot produce the number of normal red blood cells needed to keep you in good health. This condition is called iron deficiency (iron shortage) or iron deficiency anemia. For example, iron is sometimes lost with slow or small amounts of bleeding that you would not be aware of and which can only be detected by your doctor. Your doctor can determine if you have an iron deficiency, what is causing the deficiency, and if an iron supplement is necessary. Iron is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. Iron-deficient people tire easily because their bodies are starved for oxygen. Iron is also part of myoglobin, which helps muscle cells store oxygen. Without enough iron, ATP (the fuel the body runs on) cannot be properly synthesized. As a result, iron-deficient people become fatigued even when their hemoglobin levels are normal. Some conditions may increase your need for iron. These include: bleeding problems, burns, kidney disease and intestinal problems.

Q.Who is likely to be iron deficient?
A.Vegetarians eat less iron than non-vegetarians, and the iron they eat is somewhat less absorbable. As a result, vegetarians are more likely to have reduced iron stores. Pregnant women, marathon runners, people who take acetylsalicylic acid (A.S.A. or aspirin), and those who have parasitic infections, hemorrhoids, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, gastrointestinal cancers, or other conditions that cause blood loss or malabsorption are likely to become deficient.

Q.What are the common side effects of iron?
A.Some common side effects of other iron supplements may include constipation, diarrhea, stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting.

Q.How do you compare Easy Iron with other irons?
A.Other iron supplements are not in the same league with Easy Iron. Other iron supplements are difficult to take, poorly absorbed and cause digestive problems and constipation. Easy Iron is tasteless, odourless. Easy Iron is highly absorbable and bioavailable, without causing constipation or digestive difficulties. Competing iron products in any form (liquid, capsule, and tablet) including various forms of iron for commercial use are in binding (constipating) forms and cause constipation, diarrhea, stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting. In an effort to reduce the "side effects" of these products you are forced to take these iron products with food, which can reduce absorption by a full 50%! In essence you are taking a supplement knowing full well that you are flushing half of it down the toilet. Easy Iron is gentle on the system, and non-constipating. You will find Easy Iron easy to take without the addition of absorption inhibitors (foods and drinks). In fact Easy Iron contains Fiberrific, the clinically proven iron absorption enhancer. We guarantee that Easy Iron is readily soluble for absorption and subsequent bio-utilization.

Q.What should I expect to feel when I start taking Iron?
A.Within a couple of weeks you should notice that you have more energy and stamina.

Q.I'm on medication. Is it safe to take Iron?
A.To ensure no interference with prescription medication you should talk to your health practitioner prior to taking any iron supplement.

Q.Can I use Iron supplement for my children?
A.Please talk to your health practitioner prior to giving Iron to children. Iron is vital to the health and proper growth of children, but too much iron can be detrimental to their health. Your health practitioner can assess your child and best advice as to the optimal amount for your specific child.

Q.I'm a vegetarian. Can I take Iron supplement?
A.Iron is 100% pure vegetable based product. The manufacturing process was designed and implemented specifically to meet vegetarians' requirements. It is guaranteed to contain no animal products or by-products of any kind.

Q.Should I take iron supplements during pregnancy?
A. Iron is probably the only nutrient that it is impossible to get enough of with a very good diet during pregnancy; therefore, some kind of supplement may be necessary. Are you anemic? That is, do you have iron-deficiency anemia, a specific type of anemia that results from low iron stores? Do you have difficulty tolerating iron supplements (stomach distress, constipation, etc?) Iron is probably the only nutrient that it is impossible to get enough of with a very good diet during pregnancy; therefore, some kind of supplement may be necessary. (Folic acid supplements should also be taken prior to and during pregnancy to minimize the risk of neural tube defects.) The amount of iron in the standard prenatal vitamin is enough for most women who eat a healthy diet. Additional iron can be gotten with iron-rich nutrients: red meat, dark green leafy vegetables (especially kale, collards, mustard greens, chard), and dried fruits (prunes, raisins, figs). Cast iron skillets are good for adding iron to your diet; as you cook in them, a tiny amount of the iron leaches off into the food. For some women, this is still not enough iron. The most common, and the cheapest, iron supplement is iron (or ferrous) sulfate, available over the counter and cheaply at the pharmacy or grocery. One or two tablets a day, taken with citrus juice or with water, will improve the blood count over several months. However, these tablets can be harsh on the stomach and cause constipation, or make existing constipation worse. For women who need additional iron and cannot tolerate iron sulfate tablets, there are several alternatives. Iron gluconate is easier on the stomach, and there are some time-released versions. These are more expensive, of course, than iron sulfate tablets. There is current controversy about what constitutes a "normal" blood count or hematocrit during pregnancy. Certainly, it is lower than a woman's normal non-pregnant hematocrit, about 37-40%. During early pregnancy, the blood is diluted with additional fluid, and so the red blood cells, which carry the iron, constitute a smaller fraction of the whole blood. As the bone marrow is triggered to make more red blood cells, they catch up, add more red blood cells to the diluted fluid, and the hematocrit rises again later in pregnancy. What we used to think of as "anemia" during pregnancy may actually be a normal physiological process. Thinner blood may cross the placenta and get to the baby more easily. We may be making things worse, not better, by trying to get women's hematocrits back up to the normal non-pregnant values. However, there is a low that is too low, and that is probably under 30% for many women. If the hematocrit is too low, women will have symptoms: fatigue, rapid heartbeat, dizziness. Therefore, almost all midwives and physicians will want to treat those women with extra iron. There is an almost universal propensity to treat low hematocrits with iron during pregnancy among obstetricians and most midwives. However, according to "Guidelines for Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth, "the available data from controlled trials provide clear evidence that normal (for non-pregnant women) values can be restored by this supplementation, but there is no evidence that it has any effect, beneficial or harmful, on clinical outcomes for mother or baby."