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5 reasons your ferritin still isn’t coming up
If you’ve been taking iron for months and your number has barely moved, it probably isn’t you. Something is draining it or blocking it. Read on to find out which.
6 minute read | Written by the Avena Wellness Team
You’re losing iron faster than a pill can put it back
Changing a pad every two hours. Clots. A week of feeling like you have the flu. Every heavy period drains a little more of your stores, and the iron you take on your good days never catches up.
FerraVital™ gives you 45 mg of gentle, chelated iron every single day, easy enough on your stomach to take all month, so you’re replacing iron every day, not just on your good days.
“My period undid every month of progress”
“I’d get my number up a few points, then one bad cycle and I was back at the bottom. Taking it every day without feeling sick is the only thing that’s worked.”
Monica R., Heavy periodsVerified Review
Your baby borrowed your iron and nobody paid it back
Pregnancy builds a whole new blood supply, and breastfeeding keeps drawing on it. Then everyone checks on the baby and nobody checks on you. Years later you’re still exhausted and blaming it on being a mom.
FerraVital™ pairs iron with active folate, B12 and B6, the nutrients your body uses to turn stored iron into red blood cells and energy you can actually feel.
Avena’s FerraVital™ · 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee
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Get Offer Now ● 47% OffYour morning coffee is blocking the iron you just took
Coffee, tea and calcium all block iron from being absorbed. If you swallow your iron with breakfast and a latte, a lot of it passes straight through you. Months of pills, and the number barely moves.
FerraVital™ adds vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron and lactoferrin to carry it into your stores. Take two capsules an hour before your coffee and let them work.
“I had no idea my latte was the problem”
“I took my iron with breakfast for a year. Switched to taking FerraVital first thing and my coffee an hour later. My retest was the first one that actually went up.”
Rachel T., Low ferritinVerified Review
The iron that made you sick never had a chance to work
Constipation, cramps, nausea, that metal taste. Most pharmacy iron is ferrous sulfate, a harsh form of iron that upsets a lot of stomachs. When your iron makes you feel sick, you start skipping doses, then you stop taking it. And iron you don’t take can’t raise your ferritin.
FerraVital™ uses iron bisglycinate, bonded to an amino acid so it’s gentle on your stomach. You can actually take it every day, and taking it every day is how your ferritin comes up.
Not just iron. Everything your body needs to keep it.
Iron bisglycinate
45 mg per serving
“Chelated to an amino acid, so it releases slowly instead of hitting your stomach all at once.”
Why it matters:
Gentle enough to stay on, every day
Vitamin C + lactoferrin
120 mg + 10 mg
“Vitamin C helps the iron absorb. Lactoferrin moves it toward your stores instead of letting it pass through.”
Why it matters:
More of each dose actually stays
B12, B6 + methylfolate
Active forms
“Turn stored iron into red blood cells and energy you can feel.”
Why it matters:
Energy, focus, fewer 3pm crashes
Zinc, copper + selenium
Plus L-lysine 400 mg
“Support hair, thyroid and iron transport, and help your body hold on to what it absorbs.”
Why it matters:
Hair, nails, iron transport
Now you know what’s draining and blocking your iron. Here’s the supplement built to fix both.
Your doctor said “normal.” Your hairbrush disagrees.
Hemoglobin fine, ferritin 14, “you’re in range.” Meanwhile your hair is coming out in clumps in the shower and you need a nap by 3pm. Low ferritin without anemia gets missed all the time, and hair is often the first thing to go.
Hair is low on your body’s priority list for iron. FerraVital™ is built to refill your stores steadily over 90 days, so there’s finally enough left over for your hair.
“Less hair in the drain by week 7”
“Three doctors told me my labs were fine. I was pulling hair out of the drain every morning. Two months in, the shedding has slowed right down and I have baby hairs at my temples.”
Karen D., Hair sheddingVerified Review
Your ferritin didn’t drop overnight. FerraVital™ rebuilds it steadily, one day at a time.
Rebuilding your stores has a timeline. Here’s yours:
Settling in
Two capsules before breakfast. Gentle on your stomach, so this is the week you realise you can actually stay on it.
Lifting
Energy usually moves first. The stairs, the school run and the 3pm wall start to feel less like a mountain.
Holding on
Less hair in the brush and the drain. Shedding slows before regrowth shows, so this is the month to keep going.
Refilled
Baby hairs along your part, a ponytail that feels like yours again, energy that lasts the day. Time to retest your ferritin.
Avena’s FerraVital™
Gentle, slow-release iron with the 9 co-nutrients your body needs to actually store it.
3 bottles is the full 90 days it takes to rebuild your stores. Save 47% today, plus a free guide.
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What’s in it?
| Iron (as Ferrous Bisglycinate) | 45 mg |
| Vitamin C (as Calcium Ascorbate) | 120 mg |
| L-Lysine (as L-Lysine HCl) | 400 mg |
| Zinc (as Zinc Bisglycinate) | 10 mg |
| Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate) | 10 mg |
| Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin) | 100 mcg |
| Folate (as L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate) | 400 mcg DFE |
| Copper (as Copper Bisglycinate) | 1 mg |
| Selenium (as L-Selenomethionine) | 55 mcg |
| Lactoferrin | 10 mg |
Other ingredients: vegetable cellulose, maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate. Free of wheat, gluten, eggs, soy and nuts.
How do I take it?
Two capsules a day on an empty stomach, an hour before breakfast or two hours after a meal. Keep coffee and tea an hour away so they don’t block the iron.
How soon will I notice a difference?
Everyone is different. Most women notice energy first, usually around weeks 3 to 4. Shedding tends to slow around weeks 6 to 8, and regrowth shows from month 3. Retest your ferritin after 90 days.
What if it doesn’t work for me?
Take it for 90 days. If you don’t feel more energy, see less hair coming out, or notice any difference at all, tell us and we’ll refund you in full.
She tried every iron pill, too.
Unfiltered comments from women who were where you are, and what changed once they started FerraVital™.
Jennifer Alvarez · 3d
Has anyone actually tried Avena’s FerraVital? My ferritin came back at 11 and my doctor just said “take iron.” Regular iron wrecks my stomach and I’m losing so much hair in the shower. Honest answers please, not ads 🙏
Tricia Hollenbeck · 3d
Jennifer Alvarez Yes! Started in June. I was the biggest skeptic, I’ve tried everything. Zero stomach issues, and around week 6 my shedding slowed right down. I actually have baby hairs along my part now.
Jennifer Alvarez · 3d
Tricia Hollenbeck no stomach issues at all?? That’s my biggest worry
Tricia Hollenbeck · 2d
Jennifer Alvarez none. I take 2 before breakfast. Ferrous sulfate made me sick within days, this one I forget I’m even taking.
Marcy Delgado · 2d
Not gonna lie I rolled my eyes when my sister sent me this 😂 3 bottles in and my energy is back. I don’t need a nap at 2pm anymore. Hair is thicker too but that took longer, like 2 months.
Kelly Brandt · 2d
Marcy Delgado same exact experience. Energy first, hair second.
Rob Castellano · 1d
Bought it for my wife after her labs came back low. She won’t stop talking about how much less hair is in the drain. Worth it for that alone honestly.
Denise Park · 22h
I’m a nurse and I was cautious, but the formula is legit. Chelated iron plus vitamin C and the active B vitamins, that’s what I’d tell a patient to look for. Been on it 10 weeks, no complaints.
Jennifer Alvarez · 20h
Denise Park thank you, that’s really reassuring. Ordering the 3 bottle one tonight
Angela Moore · 9h
Week 4 here. Brain fog is lifting which I did NOT expect. Waiting on the hair part but so far so good 🤞
Your stores need iron you can absorb.
Not iron you can’t keep down.
FerraVital™ pairs gentle chelated iron with the co-nutrients that help your body keep it.
 FerraVital™ |
 Ferrous sulfate |
 Diet alone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron form | Chelated bisglycinate | Iron salt | Varies by food |
| Your stomach | Gentle, slow release | Known for constipation & nausea | Gentle |
| Absorption help | Vitamin C + lactoferrin | None added | Blocked by coffee & tea |
| Co-nutrients | B12, B6, folate, zinc, copper, selenium | Iron only | Hit and miss |
| Keeps up with heavy periods | 45 mg every day | Often quit early | Rarely enough |
Frequently asked questions
The questions women ask us most, answered straight.
💊How is FerraVital different from the iron I already tried?
Most pharmacy iron is ferrous sulfate, an iron salt that is famously hard on the stomach. FerraVital uses iron bisglycinate, chelated to an amino acid so it releases slowly, plus vitamin C and lactoferrin to help it absorb and B vitamins to help your body use it.
☕Can I still drink coffee?
Yes. Just take your 2 capsules an hour before your coffee or tea, not with it.
⏱How long until I see results?
Energy usually comes first, around weeks 3 to 4. Shedding tends to slow around weeks 6 to 8. Give it the full 90 days, then retest your ferritin.
🤰Can I take it if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?
Please check with your doctor or midwife first. They know your levels and what else you’re taking.
🩺Is it safe with my medication?
Iron can interact with some medicines, including thyroid medication and some antibiotics. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start.
🛡What if it doesn’t work for me?
You’re covered by our 90-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t notice a difference, tell us and we’ll refund you in full.