Food iron is reduced in the stomach to the more absorbable form of:

The answer is Ferrous. In the digestive system, particularly in the stomach, food iron is primarily found in the ferric form (Fe3+), which is less absorbable by the body. The acidic environment of the stomach helps to reduce ferric iron to ferrous iron (Fe2+), which is the more soluble and absorbable form of iron. This conversion is essential for optimizing iron absorption in the intestines. Once converted to ferrous iron, it can more effectively bind to transport proteins in the intestinal mucosa, facilitating its uptake into the bloodstream.

The other terms listed relate to different aspects of iron metabolism and transport but do not refer to the form of iron primarily absorbed in the intestines. Transferrin is a transport protein that carries iron in the bloodstream, while ferritin is a storage protein that holds iron in a non-toxic form within cells. Ferric refers to the oxidized state of iron that is not readily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Hence, the accurate response reflects the form of iron that the body prefers for absorption following its reduction in the stomach.