Living Alchemy - Women's Iron

Product Notes:

Blood & Energy Builder - Gentle on the Stomach, Slow-Release & Highly Absorbable

Iron Deficiency Risk Factors

Our bodies need iron to help form red blood cells and transport oxygen to our tissues and several other vital functions, but it can be difficult to maintain adequate stores if you are either pregnant, breastfeeding, or menstruating, or if you are a vegetarian – even when you make the effort to consume iron-rich foods, because plant-based iron does not get absorbed as well, to start with, and some plants also contain oxalates which actually block its absorption. Seniors and athletes may also be at risk.

You might be deficient in iron if you don't eat much red meat or have several of these symptoms: bruising easily; having brittle hair or fingernails, especially pale skin, dark circles under the eyes; constantly feeling tired; or frequently feeling cold (especially in the hands and feet) or getting dizzy or lightheaded.

Sourced from Plants

While most iron supplements either use animal sources, or iron salts (e.g., ferrous fumarate, which can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation or diarrhoea in higher doses), or laboratory-created fusions of ferrous iron with amino acid molecules (e.g., iron bisglycinate) this type is derived entirely from non-GMO plants, plus a helpful fungus well-known to the Japanese cuisine world to enhance their nutrients and bioavailability.

What is Koji Fermentation?

Koji fermentation is when a beneficial mold - usually, but not exclusively, Aspergillus oryzae - gets cultivated on a bed of starchy food such as cooked long grain rice or soybeans, which produces a number of enzymes which can release or even produce more nutrients in the original food.

It's then be used to go on to transform the flavours, textures and nutritional profile and digestibility of other types of food when that koji preparation is combined with them and allowed to ferment in covered conditions for a period of time. It is used to produce soy sauce, miso (soybean paste), and sake (rice wine), and also in curing meat and some types of pickling.

In this case, the beneficial mold has worked its magic on three types of foodstuffs: Nori (a red seaweed that's very high in iron); Acerola (aka Barbados or West Indian cherry, which is extremely high in Vitamin C and also contains copper, which both help the body absorb iron); and Lemon Peels (which has both a lot of vitamin C and some iron).

This Koji fermented whole food trio not only provides that critical ingredient and a well-recognized means of facilitating its absorption, but also a range of other cofactors in those foods such as Folate and vitamin B12 which increase our ability to absorb the iron, at a more natural, slow-release pace. As a consequence, not only is the iron gentler on the stomach, but longer lasting, compared to when it is presented in isolation.

Naming note: this product was initially called Living Alchemy Women's Iron Alive.