Albion® Iron Bisglycinate: Research on Absorption, Ferritin & Hemoglobin

Key Takeaways

• Human research has evaluated iron bisglycinate for improving markers of iron status, including hemoglobin and ferritin.

• A double-blind randomized pilot study in children with iron deficiency anemia found that both iron bisglycinate and polymaltose iron increased hemoglobin after 45 days.

• Ferritin increased significantly in the iron bisglycinate group, indicating an improvement in stored iron.

• The study used Ferrochel®, an Albion® iron bisglycinate chelate, making the findings directly relevant to this branded ingredient.

• Research also suggests that iron bisglycinate can provide measurable iron absorption, although absorption findings should not automatically be interpreted as proof of superior long-term clinical outcomes.

• The available evidence is promising but remains limited by factors such as small sample sizes, short study durations, and differences between study populations and formulations.
  

Iron bisglycinate is a chelated form of iron studied for its absorption and effects on iron status, including hemoglobin and ferritin. Research involving Ferrochel®, an Albion® iron bisglycinate chelate, provides direct clinical evidence involving the branded ingredient.

This article reviews the available research on absorption, clinical outcomes, and tolerability, highlighting what the evidence supports and where further research is needed.

For a broader overview of Albion® mineral technology and ingredient quality, read our guide to The Power of Albion Minerals.

What Does Research Show About Albion® Iron Bisglycinate?

Clinical research suggests that iron bisglycinate can effectively improve markers of iron status, including hemoglobin and ferritin. In a double-blind randomized pilot study involving children with iron deficiency anemia, both iron bisglycinate and polymaltose iron significantly increased hemoglobin after 45 days. However, ferritin increased significantly only in the iron bisglycinate group.

Importantly, the iron bisglycinate preparation used in this study was Ferrochel®, an Albion® ingredient. This provides direct clinical evidence involving the branded ingredient rather than relying only on research involving generic descriptions of iron bisglycinate.

The findings are encouraging, but they do not establish that iron bisglycinate is universally superior to every other form of oral iron. The strength of the evidence depends on the population, dose, formulation, treatment duration, and clinical outcome being evaluated.

What Did the Iron Bisglycinate Clinical Study Investigate?

One of the most directly relevant clinical studies was a randomized, double-blind pilot trial published in Current Pediatric Reviews in 2018.

The researchers compared two oral iron preparations in children with iron deficiency anemia:

• Iron bisglycinate chelate (FeBC)

• Polymaltose iron (FeP)
  
  

The study included children between 1 and 13 years of age who had iron deficiency anemia. Participants received 3.0 mg of elemental iron per kilogram of body weight per day for 45 days.

The iron bisglycinate preparation was Ferrochel®, manufactured by Albion Laboratories Inc.

This detail is particularly relevant when evaluating Albion® iron bisglycinate because the study did not simply use an unspecified iron bisglycinate source.

How Was the Study Designed?

The trial was designed as a double-blind randomized study, meaning participants were randomly assigned to treatment groups and the researchers used blinded study procedures.

The final analysis included 20 children:

Both products contained the same concentration of elemental iron, 10 mg/mL, and were administered once daily after the main meal.

Researchers evaluated several markers related to anemia and iron status, including:

• Hemoglobin

• Ferritin

• Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

• Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)

• Red cell distribution width (RDW)

• Transferrin
  
  

This allowed the researchers to examine more than just whether hemoglobin increased.

What Happened to Hemoglobin?

Both treatment groups experienced a significant increase in hemoglobin.

In the iron bisglycinate group:

10.7 ± 0.2 g/dL → 12.2 ± 0.3 g/dL

In the polymaltose iron group:

10.7 ± 0.2 g/dL → 12.2 ± 0.2 g/dL

These findings indicate that both iron preparations were effective at increasing hemoglobin over the 45-day treatment period.

This is an important distinction. The study supports the effectiveness of iron bisglycinate for improving hemoglobin in this population, but it does not show a difference between the two treatments for this particular outcome.

What Happened to Ferritin?

Ferritin provides information about stored iron and is therefore an important marker when assessing iron repletion.

The iron bisglycinate group showed a statistically significant increase:

21 ± 3.9 ng/mL → 37 ± 5.0 ng/mL

The polymaltose iron group also increased numerically:

25 ± 5.2 ng/mL → 34 ± 3.9 ng/mL

However, the increase was statistically significant only in the iron bisglycinate group.

This is one of the more notable findings from the study because hemoglobin and ferritin do not represent exactly the same aspect of iron status. Hemoglobin reflects the oxygen-carrying component of blood, while ferritin is commonly used as a marker of stored iron.

Why Is Ferritin Important?

A rise in hemoglobin is an important response to iron supplementation, but restoring iron stores is also relevant when treating iron deficiency.

Ferritin is commonly used to assess iron storage, although its interpretation can be affected by inflammation and other factors.

The significant ferritin increase observed with iron bisglycinate in this study therefore provides evidence that the intervention was associated with improved iron storage in the children studied.

However, one small pilot trial is not enough to establish that iron bisglycinate consistently produces greater iron-store repletion than other oral iron forms across all populations.

What Happened to MCV, MCH, RDW, and Transferrin?

The study also evaluated several additional hematological markers.

Both groups experienced significant increases in MCV, which measures average red blood cell size.

• Iron bisglycinate: 72.5 ± 2.4 → 74.2 ± 2.3 fL

• Polymaltose iron: 73.8 ± 1.2 → 76.1 ± 1.3 fL
  
  

MCH, which reflects the average amount of hemoglobin in each red blood cell, increased significantly in the iron bisglycinate group:

• Iron bisglycinate: 24.4 ± 1.0 → 24.9 ± 0.9 pg

• Polymaltose iron: 24.9 ± 0.5 → 25.5 ± 0.5 pg
  
  

The study also found significant changes in RDW and transferrin in both groups.

These findings show that the response to iron supplementation involved multiple hematological measures, rather than hemoglobin alone.

Did Iron Bisglycinate Improve Iron Stores More Effectively?

The study provides some evidence in this direction, particularly because ferritin increased significantly in the iron bisglycinate group but not in the polymaltose group.

However, the study should not be interpreted as definitive proof that iron bisglycinate is superior for iron-store restoration.

The final sample was small, with only 20 children completing the study, and the intervention lasted just 45 days. Larger randomized trials would be needed to determine whether the observed ferritin difference remains consistent across broader populations and longer treatment periods.

What Did Earlier Research Show?

The 2018 study also discussed earlier clinical research involving iron bisglycinate.

In one study involving children aged 6 to 36 months, both iron bisglycinate and ferrous sulfate increased hemoglobin after 28 days, while ferritin increased significantly in the iron bisglycinate group.

Another study involving 200 children aged 5 to 13 years compared iron bisglycinate with ferrous sulfate over 90 days. Both groups showed increases in ferritin, with a significantly greater increase reported for iron bisglycinate at six months.

Together, these studies suggest that iron bisglycinate has been investigated in pediatric populations for both correction of anemia and improvement of iron stores.

The results are encouraging, but differences in study design, dose, duration, population, and formulation make direct comparisons between trials difficult.

How Does Iron Bisglycinate Compare With Polymaltose Iron?

The 2018 randomized study provides a useful comparison because both treatments were administered at the same elemental iron dose.

The most notable difference was the significant increase in ferritin and MCH observed with iron bisglycinate.

Still, these findings should be interpreted within the limitations of a small pilot trial rather than as evidence that iron bisglycinate will outperform polymaltose iron in every clinical situation.

Was Iron Bisglycinate Well Tolerated?

No adverse effects were reported during the 45-day intervention in the 2018 pediatric trial.

This provides supportive evidence regarding tolerability within the conditions of that particular study.

However, the absence of reported adverse effects in a small sample does not mean that gastrointestinal or other side effects cannot occur with iron supplementation.

Individual tolerability can vary depending on the iron form, dose, formulation, diet, underlying health status, and duration of use.

What Did the Study Find About Iron Demand?

The researchers also identified a significant negative correlation between baseline hemoglobin and the increase in ferritin in the iron bisglycinate group:

r = -0.667, p = 0.025

This means that children with lower baseline hemoglobin tended to show greater increases in ferritin.

The researchers interpreted this relationship as being consistent with the possibility that iron bisglycinate absorption may be influenced by the body's iron requirements.

This should be treated as a study interpretation rather than definitive proof of a specific absorption-regulation mechanism. Correlation does not establish causation, and the small sample size limits how broadly the finding can be applied.

What Does Research Say About Iron Bisglycinate Absorption?

Research has also examined the absorption of iron bisglycinate directly.

The 2018 paper discusses an earlier dual-radioisotope study in which iron bisglycinate showed an absorption rate of approximately 8.68%, compared with 1.34% for ferrous sulfate under the study conditions.

That represents substantially greater fractional absorption in that particular experiment.

These findings help explain why iron bisglycinate has attracted clinical interest. However, absorption studies and clinical outcome studies answer different questions.

An increase in fractional absorption does not automatically prove that a supplement will produce superior long-term clinical outcomes for every person.

Does Better Absorption Mean Better Clinical Outcomes?

Not necessarily.

Absorption is an important part of iron supplementation, but clinical effectiveness depends on several factors, including:

• Baseline iron status

• Iron dose

• Iron formulation

• Duration of supplementation

• Dietary factors

• Underlying cause of iron deficiency

• Ability to tolerate and consistently take the supplement

• Degree of iron deficiency
  
  

The available research therefore supports a more precise conclusion: iron bisglycinate has demonstrated measurable absorption and has been associated with improvements in hematological and iron-storage markers in clinical studies.

That is different from claiming that it is universally the most effective oral iron form.

What Are the Main Limitations of the Research?

The evidence base has several important limitations.

Small Sample Sizes

The primary 2018 randomized trial included only 20 children in the final analysis. A sample of this size can provide useful preliminary evidence but is not sufficient to establish broad clinical conclusions.

Short Treatment Duration

The intervention lasted 45 days. Iron deficiency and iron-store restoration may require longer-term management depending on the cause and severity of deficiency.

Specific Study Population

The primary study involved children with iron deficiency anemia. Its results should therefore not automatically be generalized to healthy adults, pregnant individuals, older adults, or people with other causes of anemia.

Different Iron Preparations

Studies comparing iron forms may use different formulations, doses, administration schedules, and manufacturing sources. These differences can influence outcomes.

Limited Evidence for Long-Term Outcomes

The available studies provide useful information about hematological markers, but they do not establish long-term clinical outcomes across diverse populations.

What Does the Evidence Actually Support?

Taken together, the research supports several reasonable conclusions.

First, iron bisglycinate is a clinically studied form of oral iron. Human trials have evaluated its effects on hemoglobin, ferritin, and other hematological markers.

Second, iron bisglycinate can improve iron-related markers in people with iron deficiency anemia. In the 2018 pediatric randomized trial, hemoglobin increased significantly after 45 days, while ferritin also increased significantly.

Third, Ferrochel® has been used in human clinical research. The iron bisglycinate preparation in the 2018 trial was Ferrochel®, providing direct evidence involving an Albion® ingredient.

Fourth, absorption evidence is supportive but should be interpreted separately from clinical outcome evidence. Higher fractional absorption in an absorption study does not by itself establish superior clinical outcomes.

Finally, the evidence is promising but not definitive. Larger and longer randomized studies are needed to determine how consistently iron bisglycinate performs across different populations, doses, and clinical settings.

What Does This Mean for Albion® Iron Bisglycinate?

The clinical evidence gives Albion® iron bisglycinate a meaningful research foundation, particularly because Ferrochel® has been directly evaluated in human research.

The 2018 randomized pediatric study is especially relevant because it assessed Ferrochel® against another oral iron preparation and measured both hemoglobin and ferritin.

At the same time, it is important to distinguish evidence for Ferrochel® from evidence for iron bisglycinate as a general ingredient category. Not every product labeled iron bisglycinate necessarily has the same formulation, manufacturing standards, or clinical evidence.

To understand why the form of iron matters, explore our Albion® Iron Bisglycinate: Why the Form of Iron Matters.

This is why ingredient identity and sourcing matter when evaluating an iron supplement.

How Strong Is the Clinical Evidence for Iron Bisglycinate?

The current evidence can reasonably be described as promising but still developing.

The strongest conclusion is not that iron bisglycinate is universally superior, but that it is a clinically studied oral iron form with evidence supporting improvements in important markers of iron status.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Albion® iron bisglycinate clinically studied?

Yes. Ferrochel®, an Albion® iron bisglycinate chelate, was used in a randomized double-blind pediatric study evaluating iron deficiency anemia. The study found significant improvements in hemoglobin and ferritin among children receiving the iron bisglycinate preparation.

Does iron bisglycinate increase ferritin?

Clinical research indicates that it can. In the 2018 randomized pediatric trial, ferritin increased significantly from 21 ± 3.9 to 37 ± 5.0 ng/mL in the iron bisglycinate group after 45 days.

Does iron bisglycinate increase hemoglobin?

Yes. In the 2018 study, hemoglobin increased significantly from 10.7 ± 0.2 to 12.2 ± 0.3 g/dL in the iron bisglycinate group.

Is iron bisglycinate better absorbed than ferrous sulfate?

Some absorption research has found substantially higher fractional absorption with iron bisglycinate under specific experimental conditions. However, absorption results should not automatically be interpreted as proof of superior clinical outcomes in every population.

Is iron bisglycinate better than polymaltose iron?

The 2018 pediatric pilot study found that both forms significantly increased hemoglobin. Ferritin increased significantly only in the iron bisglycinate group. However, the study was small and short, so it does not establish universal superiority.

Does Albion® iron bisglycinate have evidence behind the branded ingredient?

Yes. Ferrochel®, Albion®'s iron bisglycinate chelate, was the iron bisglycinate preparation used in the 2018 randomized pediatric study. This provides direct human clinical evidence involving the branded ingredient.

Final Thoughts

Clinical research supports iron bisglycinate as a well-studied oral iron form, with evidence for improvements in hemoglobin, ferritin, and other markers of iron status. Research involving Ferrochel® also provides direct evidence for an Albion® iron bisglycinate ingredient, while absorption studies offer additional support for its biological availability.

The evidence is promising, but it does not establish that iron bisglycinate is universally superior to every other form of iron. Study population, formulation, dose, duration, and clinical outcome all matter when interpreting the research.

At Just Glow, we believe science-backed ingredients and evidence-based nutrition are the foundation of long-term wellness. Understanding the form, sourcing, and research behind an ingredient supports informed supplement choices. Explore our Albion® Iron Bisglycinate supplement today.

References

1. Name JJ, Vasconcelos ARAR, Maluf MCVR. Iron bisglycinate chelate and polymaltose iron for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia: a pilot randomized trial. Current Pediatric Reviews. 2018;14(4):261-268.

2. Albion Minerals. Ferrochel® Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate.

3. World Health Organization. WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations.