ABSTRACT Considerable risk of iron deficiency has been identified in premenopausal women because of the adverse effects associated with commercial iron preparations. This study examined the safety and tolerability of a novel iron multi-amino acid chelate (IMAAC) preparation in premenopausal women. A single-centre, randomized, double-blind, three-arm placebo-controlled (n = 60) study was conducted where subjects received one of three test materials: IMAAC (600 mg) or ferrous sulfate (600 mg) each containing 25 mg of elemental iron, or placebo as a single daily dose for 7 days. After testing, there were no significant differences found in any of the hematological outcomes between the different test groups. The safety analyses showed that a significantly (p = .044) higher number of patients reported adverse events when taking the ferrous sulfate supplement compared to IMAAC. A significantly lower number of adverse effects (p = .008) were reported by subjects on IMAAC. The current study demonstrated the superiority of the IMAAC preparation over ferrous sulfate with regards to tolerability and adverse effects.