Mineral water can help individuals suffering from anemia or simply looking to maintain good health. Packed full of essential minerals and nutrients like iron, such as can help prevent disease while supporting strong bones and teeth.
Liquid iron supplements tend to be more easily absorbed by the body and less harsh on your stomach, with studies revealing up to four times greater absorption from drinking a glass of water with iron added than taking solid supplements. Therefore, taking liquid iron on an empty stomach is ideal.
Liquid iron supplements tend to produce fewer side effects such as nausea and constipation than their solid counterparts, due to being designed specifically to release into the duodenum of the small intestine where iron absorption naturally takes place.
As not all iron is equal, it is wise to consult your physician before increasing or adding new iron supplements. Since there is the risk of iron poisoning, make sure that you get just enough to remain healthy and happy without overdosing on iron intake.
Heme iron, found primarily in animals and fish sources, is easily absorbable while non-heme iron from plants may require more effort for absorption. Therefore, eating foods rich in both types of iron in order to meet your daily requirements and drinking plenty of fluids helps ease its absorption.
Volunteers were given meals with either high or low iron contents and their blood levels of the radioisotope 59Fe were measured afterwards. Results demonstrated that the more iron content there was in food, the more of it was absorbed – red meat providing easy absorption due to heme iron content.
Tea and coffee are among the strongest inhibitors of iron absorption as their tannins bind it in your body, while fizzy drinks containing phosphates also have this effect. Drinking these beverages at the same time as iron-rich food or supplements may reduce absorption by up to 75% – an hour should pass between drinking these beverages and eating foods rich in iron for optimal absorption.
To enhance iron absorption, try drinking Setlzer Water and enjoying a green smoothie that includes spinach, parsley, beet greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens or any other leafy greens you may have on hand – like spinach, parsley, beet greens, Swiss chard or turnip greens (for maximum iron absorption) along with detoxifying spirulina powder for added detoxifying benefits! Orange juice also makes an excellent complement as vitamin C has been found to increase iron absorption by up to 40%; additionally you could make herbal iron syrup as recommended by Aviva Romm’s article!