Iron Supplement - Space Lifescience

Iron Supplement Classification

Iron Type	Form	Chelated?	Elemental Iron %	Bioavailability	GI Tolerance	Common Uses / Notes
Ferrous Sulfate	Inorganic Salt	❌ No	~20%	Moderate	Moderate–Low	Most prescribed globally; may cause constipation/gastric distress
Ferrous Fumarate	Inorganic Salt	❌ No	~33%	Moderate–High	Moderate	High elemental iron; often used in pregnancy
Ferrous Gluconate	Inorganic Salt	❌ No	~12%	Moderate	Good	Gentler on stomach; used in pediatric/geriatric formulations
Iron Bisglycinate	Amino Acid Chelate	✅ Yes	~20%	High	Very Good	Superior absorption and GI tolerance; ideal for sensitive users
Iron Glycinate	Amino Acid Chelate	✅ Yes	~20%	High	Excellent	Similar to bisglycinate; often used in multivitamin blends
Iron Aspartate	Amino Acid Chelate	✅ Yes	~18–20%	Moderate–High	Good	Less common; niche premium formulations
Iron Orotate	Mineral Chelate	✅ Yes	~15–20%	Moderate–High	Good	Marketed as high cell penetration iron; premium but less studied
Iron Polysaccharide Complex	Complexed Iron	⚠️ Semi-Chelated	~100%	Moderate	Very Good	Non-ionic; gentle release; useful for long-term supplementation
Carbonyl Iron	Elemental Iron	❌ No	~100%	Slow-release	Very Good	Micro-pure iron particles; safer for children; low reactivity
Heme Iron Polypeptide	Organic (Animal-Based)	✅ Yes	~11%	Very High	Excellent	From bovine hemoglobin; ideal for meat-deficient individuals
Ferric Citrate	Inorganic (Ferric)	❌ No	~18%	Moderate	Moderate	Used in CKD to manage phosphate and iron simultaneously