Bioavailability based on biologically meaningless measures
The clam that heme iron polypeptide has 10x the absorption of traditional iron tablets is based on studies where "The bioavailability of oral HIP in healthy subjects was assessed using serum iron concentrations, a measure that is not clinically relevant." A meta-analysis of studies in subjects with chronic kidney disease — a condition that impairs iron absorption and thus makes high bioavailability critical — instead found that "HIP was consistently associated with LOWER  ferritin values [a measure of biological iron stores] when compared with traditional iron supplementation. With few exceptions, the effect of HIP on haemoglobin, haematocrit, transferrin saturation and recombinant human erythropoietin dose [measures of functional iron status], and adverse effects appeared similar to intravenous and oral non-heme iron supplementation."<br />"Heme iron polypeptide for the management of anaemia of chronic kidney disease",  Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics 40(4):386-90. (Google the title).<br /><br />A much better supplement is iron polysaccharide complex, comparable to Niferex, such as [[B004N13X24 Ferrex]].
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