NOW Foods Iron Bisglycinate 18 mg (120 Veg Capsules) – Gentle, Non-Constipating Ferrochel™ Iron for Daily Energy & Red Blood Cell Support
If you feel sluggish, tired, or drained of energy before the day is over, your body may need extra iron to keep your red blood cells working at their best. NOW Foods Iron Bisglycinate 18 mg provides a clean, stomach-friendly form of supplemental iron that helps your blood deliver fresh oxygen to every muscle, organ, and tissue in your body.
Unlike cheap drugstore iron pills that frequently cause severe nausea, stomach cramps, and hard bowel movements, this formula features patented Ferrochel™ Ferrous Bisglycinate. By shielding each iron atom between two gentle glycine amino acid molecules, Ferrochel™ glides smoothly through your stomach so your intestines can absorb it like a natural protein.
Quick Specs Snapshot
✓ Active Form & Potency: Delivers 18 mg of elemental iron per single vegetarian capsule (derived from 90 mg of patented Ferrochel™ Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate, meeting 100% of the Daily Value).
✓ Primary Cellular Target: Directly fuels hemoglobin synthesis in red blood cells, myoglobin in muscular tissue, and cellular ATP energy production in your mitochondria.
✓ Supply & Value Math: 120 vegetarian capsules deliver a full 4-month (120-day) supply in every single bottle, offering premium daily wellness support for just pennies a day.
✓ Formulation Purity: 100% Vegan/Vegetarian; non-GMO; free of wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, and sesame; produced in an audited Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility.
Smart Buyer's Guide: Gentle Ferrochel™ Chelate vs. Cheap Drugstore Iron
Most bargain iron supplements sold at big-box retailers use cheap inorganic iron salts, such as ferrous sulfate. When these raw salts enter your stomach, stomach acid causes them to break down into free, charged iron ions (Fe2+). These loose ions irritate your delicate stomach lining, make you feel nauseous, and pull moisture away from your digestive tract, leading to painful constipation and dark, hard stools.
Ferrochel™ solves this problem through true organic chelation. In this advanced form, the elemental iron is chemically bonded to two molecules of the amino acid glycine, forming an electrically neutral ring. This protective ring stays intact all the way through your acidic stomach, allowing the iron to be absorbed smoothly in your small intestine without irritating your gut or locking up your digestion.
Is This Formula Right for You?
Ideal For Shoppers Who:
✓Have a Sensitive Stomach: Individuals who cannot tolerate traditional iron pills due to stomach upset, nausea, reflux, or constipation.
✓Want a Balanced 100% Daily Value Dose: Shoppers who want a sensible, balanced daily dose (18 mg elemental iron) with a generous 4-month supply in one bottle.
Consider Another Option If:
✗You Are an Adult Male or Post-Menopausal Female with Healthy Iron: Men and post-menopausal women do not lose blood on a monthly cycle and should only take standalone iron supplements if instructed by a healthcare professional after blood testing.
✗You Have an Iron Overload Condition: Individuals diagnosed with hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis must strictly avoid iron supplements.
✗You Require High-Dose Therapeutic Repletion: Shoppers whose physicians specifically prescribed a double-strength therapeutic dose (such as 36 mg or higher) should choose a higher-potency standalone iron formula.
Risk-Free Assurance: Every purchase at VitaNet®, LLC is backed by our unconditional 100% money-back guarantee. If this gentle iron formula does not agree with your stomach or meet your wellness needs, we will refund your purchase and cover return shipping, even on opened bottles.
How Ferrochel™ Iron Powers Your Cells and Daily Energy
Think of red blood cells like a fleet of delivery trucks traveling across thousands of miles of blood vessels. To carry life-giving oxygen cargo, each truck needs a sturdy magnetic rack. Iron is that magnet. Without enough iron, your body cannot load oxygen onto the trucks, leaving your brain and muscles running on empty.
1. Building Hemoglobin: Your Body's Oxygen Magnet
Around 70% of the iron in your body is packed inside hemoglobin, a specialized protein inside your red blood cells. Each hemoglobin unit contains four active iron atoms (Fe2+). When you take a breath of fresh air, these iron atoms bind tightly to oxygen molecules (O2) inside your lungs. The red blood cells then travel through your bloodstream to deliver oxygen to your brain, heart, and working muscles [1]. When your iron levels drop, your body cannot produce enough hemoglobin, which leads directly to physical fatigue, poor focus, cold hands, and pale skin [2].
2. Supporting Muscle Endurance with Myoglobin
Iron also powers a related protein called myoglobin, which is located directly inside your muscle fibers. Myoglobin acts as a local oxygen tank, holding extra oxygen in reserve so your muscles can contract without burning out during walking, stair-climbing, or athletic exercise [3]. Maintaining healthy iron levels ensures your muscles receive a steady oxygen supply during everyday physical tasks.
3. Firing Up Cellular ATP Energy in Your Mitochondria
Beyond blood circulation, iron is an essential building block inside your mitochondria, the power stations inside every human cell. Iron forms the core of iron-sulfur proteins and cytochrome enzymes in your cellular respiration pathway. These microscopic machines use iron to transform the calories you eat into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the chemical energy currency that powers your heartbeat, muscle movements, and mental focus [3].
4. The "Trojan Horse" Absorption Advantage (PEPT1 Pathway)
Regular iron supplements enter your intestinal cells through a busy doorway called the DMT-1 mineral transporter. This single door gets easily crowded by other dietary minerals like calcium and zinc, blocking iron from getting through. Ferrochel™ uses a clever "Trojan Horse" mechanism. Because the iron is protected between two glycine amino acids, your digestive tract recognizes it as a small protein fragment (a dipeptide). It bypasses the crowded mineral doorway completely and absorbs smoothly through dedicated peptide channels (PEPT1) [4, 5]. This allows Ferrochel™ to absorb up to 2 to 4 times better than ordinary iron salts while protecting your stomach from irritation [1, 2].
Scientific Reference Monographs:
[1] Pineda, O., & Ashmead, H. D. (2001). Effectiveness of treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children with ferrous bis-glycinate chelate. Nutrition, 17(5), 381–384.
[2] Coplin, M., et al. (1991). Tolerability of iron: a comparison of bis-glycino iron II and ferrous sulfate. Clinical Therapeutics, 13(5), 606–612.
[3] Beard, J. L. (2001). Iron biology in immune function, muscle metabolism and cognition. The Journal of Nutrition, 131(2), 568S–580S.
[4] Layrisse, M., et al. (2000). Iron bioavailability in humans from breakfasts enriched with iron bis-glycinate chelate, phytates and polyphenols. The Journal of Nutrition, 130(9), 2195–2199.
[5] Milman, N., et al. (2014). Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy. Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 42(2), 197–206.
Daily Dosing, Timing & Synergy Protocol
Optimal Daily Timing & Meal Pairing
Adults take 1 vegetable capsule daily with a full glass of water. Because Ferrochel™ does not break down into harsh free ions in your stomach, you can comfortably take it on an empty stomach or with a light meal. If you have an exceptionally delicate digestive system, taking your capsule alongside food offers maximum peace of mind.
Morning Dosing & Natural Body Rhythms
The best time to take your iron capsule is in the morning or early afternoon with breakfast or lunch. Your body produces a regulatory hormone called hepcidin, which acts like an internal lock on iron absorption. Hepcidin levels are naturally at their lowest point in the morning and climb higher as the afternoon and evening progress. Taking your iron in the morning takes natural advantage of this open biological window.
Smart Synergies & The 2-Hour Spacing Rule
To help your body get the absolute most out of every capsule, keep these practical food and supplement spacing rules in mind:
Beneficial Synergy (Vitamin C): Taking your iron capsule alongside Vitamin C (such as an orange, fresh strawberries, or a 250 mg to 500 mg Vitamin C supplement) helps keep iron dissolved in its ideal absorbable form.
Coffee & Black Tea (Wait 2 Hours): Coffee and tea contain strong plant compounds called tannins and polyphenols that bind to minerals and reduce absorption. Separate your iron capsule from morning coffee or tea by at least 2 hours.
Dairy & Calcium Supplements (Wait 2 Hours): High amounts of calcium compete directly with iron for absorption in the gut. Avoid taking your iron capsule with large glasses of milk, cheese, or high-potency calcium supplements.
Prescription Medications (Wait 2 to 4 Hours): Iron can bind to certain medications, including thyroid hormone replacement (levothyroxine) and specific antibiotics. Always space your iron supplement at least 2 to 4 hours away from prescription drugs.
Timeline of What to Expect
Week 1 (Comfort & Uptake): Bioavailable chelated iron enters your bloodstream smoothly without the nausea, stomach burning, or hard bowel movements typical of basic drugstore pills.
Weeks 3–4 (Cellular Refresh & Daily Stamina): Your bone marrow utilizes the newly absorbed iron to build fresh hemoglobin. Many people begin to feel noticeable improvements in daytime energy, warmer fingertips, and improved physical endurance.
Months 2–4 (Deep Storage Repletion): Consistent daily intake replenishes your body's deep iron reserve banks (ferritin) in your liver and bone marrow, establishing lasting resilience and steady vitality.
NOW Foods packages this formula in a small, two-piece vegetarian capsule made of hypromellose plant cellulose. Unlike large, chalky tablets that feel scratchy going down, this smooth vegetable capsule glides down easily with a sip of water. If you have difficulty swallowing pills, you can gently pull the two capsule halves apart and stir the fine powder directly into applesauce or fruit juice (avoid mixing into dairy milk or yogurt).
Aroma, Taste & Natural Color Notes
This product contains zero artificial flavors, sweeteners, or synthetic food colorings. The capsules have a mild, clean, earthy scent. The vegetable shell locks the mineral powder securely inside, preventing the sharp metallic aftertaste associated with chewables or liquid iron syrups. The powder inside ranges in color from light tan to grey-brown. Natural color variations from batch to batch are completely normal and reflect authentic raw mineral lots.
Other Ingredients Explained in Plain English
Every non-active ingredient in this bottle serves an honest, functional purpose to keep your capsules pure, stable, and consistent:
Rice Flour: A gentle, hypoallergenic plant flour used to fill the capsule space evenly so every single capsule delivers the exact intended 18 mg dose.
Hypromellose (Cellulose Capsule): A 100% vegetarian capsule shell crafted from natural plant wood pulp that dissolves rapidly in stomach fluids within 15 minutes.
Stearic Acid (Vegetable Source): A natural plant-derived fatty acid that lubricates encapsulation machinery, preventing fine powders from sticking during production.
Silicon Dioxide: A natural mineral compound found throughout the earth's crust and in plants, used in tiny amounts to absorb moisture and ensure smooth powder flow.
Bottle Storage & Child Safety Warning
Keep your bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place after opening. Store away from excessive heat, direct sunlight, and moisture (avoid damp bathroom medicine cabinets).
WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.
NOW Foods Lab Testing Standards & Strict Contaminant Constraints
Minerals are mined from the earth, which means raw mineral shipments can easily carry background contaminants like toxic heavy metals if manufacturers fail to test them properly. Many discount big-box brands and fly-by-night internet sellers cut corners on expensive laboratory testing. NOW Foods maintains one of the largest and most sophisticated private analytical testing complexes in North America, running over 31,000 analytical tests every single month.
NOW operates over 40,000 square feet of advanced laboratory facilities in Bloomingdale, Illinois and Sparks, Nevada. These facilities hold formal ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation through the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This globally respected standard certifies that NOW's scientific instruments, testing methods, and team of over 150 quality control specialists meet the exact same precision protocols required of pharmaceutical and forensic crime labs.
2. ICP-MS Heavy Metal Screening at Parts-Per-Billion (ppb)
To shield you and your family from environmental toxins, NOW tests all incoming raw mineral lots and finished capsules using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This cutting-edge instrument vaporizes samples in a plasma torch hotter than the surface of the sun (over 6,000° Kelvin), counting individual metal atoms down to single parts per billion (ppb). Every production batch must satisfy rigorous safety criteria that surpass ordinary industry standards:
✓Lead (Pb): Screened well below California Proposition 65 limits (<0.5 mcg/day) and standard United States Pharmacopeia (USP ⟨2232⟩) ceilings.
✓Inorganic Arsenic (As): Monitored and verified safe to protect cellular and metabolic health.
Unscrupulous supplement makers sometimes blend raw iron sulfate with loose glycine powder in a barrel and falsely slap a "chelate" label on the bottle. NOW uses Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) alongside Albion's patented TRAACS™ (The Real Amino Acid Chelate System) testing methodology. This advanced molecular assay verifies the chemical bonds between the iron and the glycine molecules, proving 100% true chelation before a single bottle is filled.
Automated microbiological testing screens every single lot to guarantee zero contamination from harmful pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. NOW's manufacturing facilities are comprehensively certified for Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) by UL Solutions and the Natural Products Association (NPA), giving you total peace of mind in every capsule.
Verified Supplement Facts & Retailer Integrity
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Veg Capsule
Servings Per Container: 120
Description
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value
Iron (elemental) (from 90 mg Ferrous Bisglycinate) (Ferrochel™)
18 mg
100%
Other Ingredients: Rice Flour, Hypromellose (cellulose capsule), Stearic Acid (vegetable source) and Silicon Dioxide.
Allergen Free: Not manufactured with wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
Caution: For adults only. Do not exceed recommended dosage unless directed by a physician. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.
Ferrochel™ and the Albion Gold Medallion design are trademarks of Albion Laboratories, Inc. Made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. Family owned since 1968.
Curator's Quality Note: Why Buy From VitaNet®, LLC?
Where you purchase your health supplements is just as important as the brand you choose. Mass open online marketplaces often mix together bottles from random third-party resellers, exposing buyers to expired stock, heat-damaged inventory, and untrusted knockoffs.
VitaNet®, LLC has served wellness shoppers as a family-owned, independent natural health retailer since 1995. With over 31 years of hands-on expertise in human biochemistry and supplement curation, we guarantee:
Direct Brand Sourcing: Every bottle comes directly from NOW Foods and is stored in our clean, climate-controlled retail facility in Hartville, Ohio.
Unconditional 100% Money-Back Guarantee: We want you to try this gentle iron formula with complete confidence. If you are not satisfied, we will refund your purchase and pay for return shipping, even on opened bottles.
A+ Better Business Bureau Rating: VitaNet holds an accredited A+ rating with the BBB, reflecting more than three decades of honest business and dedicated customer care.
Direct Phone Support from Real People: Have a question about an order? Our experienced wellness team is available to help you directly by phone at (330) 877-8786 during retail business hours.
Store Address: VitaNet, LLC, 887 Edison Street Northwest, Hartville, Ohio 44632. Phone: (330) 877-8786.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Frequently Asked Questions About NOW Iron Bisglycinate 18 mg
Why is Ferrochel™ called "gentle and non-constipating" compared to regular iron pills?
Standard drugstore iron pills use inorganic iron salts like ferrous sulfate. In your stomach, these salts dissolve into free, charged iron ions that irritate the sensitive stomach lining, trigger nausea, and cause hard, dry stools. Ferrochel™ is ferrous bisglycinate, meaning the iron atom is chemically bonded between two neutral glycine amino acid molecules. This organic shield stays intact through your stomach and absorbs smoothly in your small intestine through peptide pathways, preventing the stomach cramps and constipation common with older iron pills.
Can I pull the vegetable capsule open and mix the powder with food?
Yes. These are two-piece vegetarian hypromellose capsules that can be gently separated. You can stir the fine powder directly into applesauce, fruit puree, or a morning smoothie. Because Ferrochel™ is an organic chelate, it has far less metallic taste than crushed iron tablets. However, do not mix the powder into dairy milk, yogurt, or calcium-fortified plant drinks, because large amounts of calcium will compete with iron for absorption.
Why does this formula provide 18 mg of iron (100% Daily Value)?
The official Daily Value for iron is 18 mg, which represents the full daily recommended intake for supporting healthy red blood cells in adult women and growing bodies. An 18 mg dose is ideal for everyday maintenance, replenishing regular monthly losses, and supporting vegetarian diets without overwhelming your system with unnecessary high doses that can cause digestive slowdowns.
Can I take this iron supplement with my morning coffee or a glass of milk?
It is best to separate your iron capsule from coffee, tea, and milk by at least 2 hours. Coffee and black or green tea contain natural polyphenols and tannins that bind to iron molecules, while the high calcium content in dairy products competes with iron for digestive uptake. For optimal absorption, take your capsule with a glass of water or citrus juice, and enjoy your morning coffee or dairy breakfast two hours later.
Will taking this iron supplement break an intermittent fast?
No. A single vegetarian capsule of NOW Iron Bisglycinate 18 mg contains virtually zero calories, carbohydrates, or fat. It will not cause a spike in blood glucose or trigger an insulin release, which means it will not break a metabolic fast. While Ferrochel™ is gentle enough to take during a fasting window, if you ever feel mild stomach sensitivity, taking it alongside your first meal of the day is completely fine.
