Verified
“Gentle chelate plus a 100 mg vitamin C cofactor in one capsule”
The formula combines ferrous bisglycinate (Ferrochel) at 28 mg with 100 mg vitamin C — a verifiable, sensible pairing of a gentle iron form with an in-meal absorption aid.
Reviewed
Verified by SAC team
+20
XP on completion
Best Clinician-Grade Iron + C
Pure Encapsulations
Pure Encapsulations OptiFerin-C Review
7.9/10SAC Product Score™
OptiFerin-C is excellent if you are allergen-sensitive or your practitioner already has you on Pure Encapsulations: a chelated 28 mg iron dose with 100 mg vitamin C in a hypoallergenic capsule with a tight excipient list. For everyone else, you are paying a large premium for the same bisglycinate molecule plus vitamin C you could add for pennies.
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Read the complete Iron guide →How we built the SAC Product Score™ — 7.9/10
Form & Bioavailability30%8.5/10
Ferrous bisglycinate (Ferrochel) chelate plus 100 mg vitamin C — the premium version of the iron+C idea. Well-absorbed, though the vitamin C's benefit over a full diet is modest (Cook & Reddy 2001).
Dose Appropriateness20%9/10
28 mg elemental is a solid repletion dose, and the 100 mg vitamin C is a reasonable in-meal absorption aid.
GI Tolerance & Safety20%9/10
Chelated iron in a hypoallergenic base is gentle; the tight excipient list suits reactive users. Ferritin-guided use still applies.
Third-Party Testing & Purity20%7/10
Hypoallergenic, gluten-free, non-GMO with clinician-channel QC and brand third-party testing — but no product-level NSF/USP seal is stated despite the premium price.
Value per Serving10%3.5/10
At ~$0.50 per capsule it is the priciest chelate here — the same bisglycinate molecule as the $0.07 value pick, plus vitamin C you could add for pennies.
The product at a glance
- Form
- Iron bisglycinate (Ferrochel) + vitamin C
- Elemental iron
- 28 mg iron + 100 mg C per capsule
- Size
- 60 capsules (60 servings)
- Purity
- Hypoallergenic, gluten-free, non-GMO
- Testing
- Brand third-party (no NSF/USP seal stated)
- Serving
- 1 capsule daily
- Price (approx.)
- ~$30.00
- Cost / serving
- ~$0.50
Marketing claims vs. reality
Verified
“Hypoallergenic with a tight excipient list — clinician-channel quality”
Consistent with Pure Encapsulations' hypoallergenic, gluten-free, non-GMO standard and short ingredient lists, which is the brand's core value proposition.
Partial
“The 100 mg vitamin C substantially increases iron absorbed”
Vitamin C boosts non-heme iron uptake within a meal, but over a complete daily diet varying vitamin C intake showed no significant absorption difference (Cook & Reddy 2001, PMID 11124756).
Not verified
“Carries a product-level NSF/USP certification”
No product-level NSF or USP seal is stated for this product despite its premium price; testing is brand-conducted.
What our test actually found
01Purity is what you are actually buying
OptiFerin-C's edge is not a better iron molecule — it is the hypoallergenic formulation and tight excipient list. For someone reactive to fillers or already in the Pure Encapsulations system, that is a genuine, specific benefit worth paying for.
02Iron+C, done in the premium form
Where cheaper iron+C products use carbonyl or ferrous salts, this uses a bisglycinate chelate. So if you want the iron-plus-vitamin-C concept in its gentlest, cleanest execution, this is it.
03The vitamin C is helpful, not transformative
100 mg vitamin C aids absorption within a meal, but the complete-diet evidence shows a modest real-world effect (Cook & Reddy 2001). It is a reasonable inclusion, not a reason on its own to pay a large premium.
04The value math is unforgiving
At ~$0.50 a capsule you are paying roughly seven times the cost of the same bisglycinate elsewhere, and there is no product-level NSF/USP seal to justify it. Great product; hard value unless purity or practitioner continuity is your reason.
Pros & cons, no sugar-coating
Pros
- Gentle chelate plus a 100 mg vitamin C cofactor in one capsule
- Hypoallergenic, tight excipient list — clinician-channel quality
- 28 mg is a solid repletion dose
- Chelated form, not carbonyl — the premium version of the iron+C idea
- Gluten-free and non-GMO
Cons
- Priciest per-serving chelate here — same molecule as $0.07 Nutricost
- No product-level NSF/USP seal despite the price
- You are paying for purity and QC, not a superior iron form
Great product, hard value
Excellent if you are allergen-sensitive or your practitioner already puts you on Pure Encapsulations. For everyone else, you are paying a large premium for the same bisglycinate molecule plus vitamin C you could add for pennies. Great product, hard value.
Check Pure Encapsulations on AmazonIf this doesn’t fit — try these
Thorne Iron Bisglycinate 25 mg
9.2/10The same gentle chelate class with a product-level NSF seal for less.
See it on the list →MegaFood Blood Builder
8.4/10Iron plus a fuller cofactor stack (B12, folate, C) if you want more than iron+C.
See it on the list →Nutricost Iron Bisglycinate 25 mg
8.8/10The identical bisglycinate molecule at a fraction of the price.
See it on the list →Sources & further reading
- Cook JD, Reddy MB. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;73(1):93-98.Cook JD, Reddy MB · 2001 · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · PMID 11124756
Effect of ascorbic acid intake on nonheme-iron absorption from a complete diet
Across a complete diet, varying vitamin C intake produced no significant difference in iron absorption, tempering the co-formulated vitamin C claim.
- Milman N, et al. J Perinat Med. 2014;42(2):197-206.Milman N, Jønsson L, Dyre P, Pedersen PL, Larsen LG · 2014 · Journal of Perinatal Medicine · PMID 24152889
Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy in a randomized trial
Validates the gentle, effective bisglycinate chelate form this product is built on.