Compound Deep-Dive

Tier 3: Research ChemEssential for correcting deficiency, but potentially toxic if taken without a confirmed need.

Iron

Ferrous sulfateFerrous bisglycinateFerrous gluconateHeme iron

Test first, supplement second.

Hype Risk

2/10

Noticeability

8/10

Evidence Tier

Strong

Cost / Month

~$5

Test first

What it's actually good for

Energy

Research Supported

Highly effective at reducing fatigue specifically in individuals with iron deficiency.

Immunity

Research Supported

Essential for the proliferation and maturation of immune cells.

Focus: neutralSleep: neutralMuscle: neutralRecovery: neutralLongevity: neutralMood: neutral

How it works

Iron is essential for hemoglobin production and oxygen transport. Strong evidence supports its use for correcting deficiency and reducing fatigue in those with low ferritin levels.

Iron is a central component of hemoglobin and myoglobin, facilitating oxygen transport and cellular energy metabolism.

Safety

Commonly causes constipation, nausea, and stomach pain.
Risk of iron overload (hemochromatosis) if taken unnecessarily.
Keep away from children; acute overdose can be fatal.

The full StackRoast report adds

The exact dose, timing, and effective range to actually run it at
Where people go wrong with it — the dose-creep and timing traps
What Iron clashes with or duplicates in your stack
Which brands are actually worth buying

Roast My Stack →

Community Reality Check

Distilled from 5000 threads

Confidence: high

What users report

Rapid energy recovery
Improved hair thickness
Resolution of restless legs

The catch

Severe constipation
Slow ferritin rise
Stomach cramping

Side effects reported

Constipation
Dark stools
Nausea

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anemichttps://www.reddit.com/r/Supplements

The Receipts

8 sources— studies, videos & links

Videos

Iron: Role in Health and Strategies for Deficiency

Peter Attia

A deep dive into ferritin levels and why standard lab ranges are often insufficient.

I'll Never Take Iron Supplements Again

Thomas DeLauer

Discusses the nuances of iron absorption and the benefits of lactoferrin.

Papers

Vaucher et al. (2012)rct2012

Found that iron supplementation significantly reduced fatigue in non-anemic women with low ferritin.

Stoffel et al. (2020)rct2020

Demonstrated that alternate-day dosing improves iron absorption compared to consecutive daily dosing.

Creators

Peter Attia

YouTube

Medical doctor specializing in longevity and biomarker optimization.

Andrew Huberman

YouTube

Neuroscience professor at Stanford who covers mineral impacts on brain function.

Clinical Sources

NIH ODS Iron Fact Sheetofficial Examine: Iron Supplementationclinical

Taking Iron in a stack? Find out if the combination actually makes sense.

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