Pregnant women, women who suffer from severe bleeding during menstrual periods, people using medications like aspirin and ibuprofen are often prescribed iron supplements to counter anemia. A common side effect of iron supplements is constipation. Why iron supplements cause constipation is not exactly known. Iron carries electric and magnetic charge and is thus more prone to oxidation. It is possible, that chemical reactions which result in the oxidation of iron can affect the nerves and muscles of the bowel, thereby causing slow bowel movements and constipation. If iron supplements are causing you to become constipated, discuss the matter with your doctor. He may prescribe a liquid iron supplement which does not cause too much constipation. Your doctor may also experiment by varying the type of iron salt present in your supplement. Although ferrous sulfate salt is more easily absorbed by the body, it causes more severe constipation. Ferrous gluconate on the other hand is less easily absorbed, but it is less constipating. There are some slow releasing iron supplements which are available in the markets today. They are less constipating but there are still questions as to how efficiently they are absorbed into the system. Some people find constipation eases if they take tier iron supplement with meals. This is not advisable though. Taking iron supplements with food can reduce the absorption of iron into the body.