Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I get anemic & very low energy during a certain time of the month ;) I was taking Floradix until I noticed it contained wheat, which I cannot have. The Gaia one was on sale at my health food store so I decided to try it. It has the same type & amount of iron as Floradix but it also has a bunch of good stuff in it - veggie & herb. Floradix now has a GF version but I think I'll stick with the Gaia because of the added goodies. The Gaia also tastes a little better. But honestly, no iron tastes *good*. But it's medicine & I'd be kinda wary of medicine that tastes too good lol. I start taking this a day or 2 before "it" starts and continue taking it through the last day. For me, I can get 2 full cycles out of one bottle. That's a little longer than their toss-after-30-days recommendation but I've had no problems at all, and this stuff is way too expensive to toss! I also sometimes forget to take it twice a day so often do the daily 20ml dose in one go and it's never been a problem for me.*(SEE UPDATE BELOW) Important note: there are certain things that inhibit absorption of iron - apparently caffeine and calcium (so dairy). I also just read that dietary fiber, polyphenols (in wine, fruit & veg) & phytates (found in grains, legumes, nuts) also inhibit absorption. Geez that's a super prohibitve list!! I'm planning to contact Gaia and see what are the real offenders & how much time to space between iron & these foods. Because if you follow the instructions of within 30 mins before meal AND away from all these foods you'd never take it! I'll update my review once I find out the answer :) In the meantime, I try to take it before a meal not containing caffeine or too much dairy. UPDATE!! So I reached out to Gaia as well as Floradix to find out how much time to allow between taking iron and foods, supplements, etc that may hinder absorption. They both responded with basically the same info, but Gaia's rep sent a very thorough monograph waaay to long to post here which is why I'm posting Floradix's shorter response... "Floradix/Floravital is best taken about 15-30 minutes before meals. This way it is quickly absorbed on an empty stomach with food to follow to stimulate digestion and ensure the iron is tolerated. It's best to avoid drinking coffee, tea, or wine with or within the hour of Floradix as tannins in these liquids can interfere with iron absorption. It would also be best to not take calcium and magnesium supplements, vitamin E or multivitamins generally along with Floradix as these could also interfere with optimal iron absorption. Medications should be taken 2 hours apart from Floradix as well, as certain ones, like antibiotics and thyroid medications can interfere with iron absorption too. " The Gaia and Floradix reps also agreed that for best absorption and to minimize nausea, take the iron on an empty stomach 15-30 mins before a meal. They also both felt that taking both doses (2 10ml doses) at once like I'd been doing may not be effective - meaning, you may not be able to absorb this much at once & even though I'm not experiencing problems now I may later. They recommended taking 10ml 2x/day or taking 15ml at the most in one dose. Hopes this helps :)