Ferrous bisglycinate (gentle iron)

Tier 1 — strong evidence · Anaemia · Pregnancy · Iron deficiency

Iron chelated with glycine amino acid — the best-tolerated oral iron form and increasingly the evidence-based first choice for iron deficiency. The 2023 Fischer meta-analysis (17 RCTs, PMID 36728680, Nutrition Reviews) found ferrous bisglycinate significantly raised hemoglobin in pregnant women vs other iron supplements (SMD 0.54 g/dL; 95% CI 0.15–0.94) and produced 64% fewer gastrointestinal adverse events (IRR 0.36; 95% CI 0.17–0.76). The older comparator trials by Bovell-Benjamin and Name confirmed comparable efficacy to ferrous sulfate at lower elemental doses. Essential in pregnancy,…

Dose: 25–50 mg/day elemental iron as ferrous bisglycinate for deficiency treatment. Every-other-day dosing (rather than daily) may improve net absorption by allowing hepcidin levels to reset between doses. Maintenance/prevention: 18–25 mg/day elemental iron. Confirm elemental iron content on label — a…