Why Ferrograd-C isn’t the Answer to your Iron Deficiency
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT INSTEAD
Your GP checks your blood. Your iron is low. You are handed a box of Ferrograd C and told to take it daily.
You do everything right. You take it consistently. You push through the nausea, the constipation, the stomach cramps.
Three months later you retest.
Your iron has barely moved.
This is one of the most common stories we hear in clinic. And it is not your fault. It’s the form of iron.
Ferrograd C is one of the most commonly recommended iron supplements in Australia
Ferrograd C contains ferrous sulfate — one of the cheapest and most poorly absorbed forms of iron available.
Here is the reality:
Only 10–15% of the dose is actually absorbed
The remaining 85–90% sits unabsorbed in your gut
It oxidises in the intestinal lining — damaging the very cells responsible for absorption
It feeds pathogenic bacteria — worsening gut dysbiosis, bloating, and inflammation
It causes nausea, constipation, cramping, and dark stools in a significant proportion of people who take it
Your body produces a molecule called hepcidin to block excess iron absorption. High doses of iron trigger hepcidin (>60mg) — shutting the absorption door.
Flooding the system does not override this. It activates it.
What Actually Works
Iron bisglycinate — the clinical standard
Bound to two glycine molecules — the body recognises it as a food source rather than an inorganic salt. Absorption rate of 25–35% — two to three times higher than ferrous sulfate. Significantly less gut irritation. Does not feed pathogenic bacteria.
Iron glycinate with cofactors — Iron bisglycinate combined with vitamin C, B12, methylated folate, and copper — the full cofactor profile required for iron transport, storage, and red blood cell production.
Liquid iron — Spatone or Floradix
Food based liquid iron — very well tolerated, excellent for sensitive guts and mild to moderate deficiency.
Haem iron concentrate — Derived from animal sources — the most bioavailable form available. Mimics dietary haem iron from red meat. Minimal gut impact and well tolerated even in sensitive presentations.
Address WHY you are deficient in the first place
This is the question that almost never gets asked — and it is the most important one.
Heavy menstrual bleeding — losing more than you can replace each cycle
Poor absorption — low stomach acid or gut inflammation
SIBO or gut dysbiosis — directly impairs small intestinal iron absorption
Chronic inflammation — suppresses iron absorption and utilisation
Helicobacter pylori — competes for iron in the stomach
Insufficient dietary intake
Giving iron without addressing the driver is like filling a bath with the plug out. It will never work long term regardless of the supplement.
Chronic iron deficiency that does not respond to supplementation is almost always a sign that something upstream needs to be investigated and addressed.
A naturopathic approach finds out why your iron is low, selects the right form for your gut and your presentation, and builds a plan that actually moves the needle.
If you have been taking Ferrograd C for months with little to show for it — you are not doing anything wrong.
You have just been given the wrong tool.
