Windy, you are correct. My brain was half asleep I think. Trying to take a shortcut perhaps. My point was, actually, to say (try to say?) that reducing stomach acid will have the same effect on mineral absorption however you do it. You can have your iron (Fe) level checked next time you have a blood draw. You don't want to take supplemental iron without knowing if you actually need it. There is such a thing as too much, and it will damage your liver.