Have you been told that you’re anemic and automatically think you need more iron? Anemia does not necessarily mean you need iron. AND, what about too much iron? A couple years ago, my iron levels were off the chart caused by lead toxicity.
Iron is necessary to carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body and for other cellular functions. Zinc, copper, iron, manganese and molybdenum oppose and cooperate with one another. If there is an increase or decrease in any of these minerals, there is probably an increase or decrease in one or more of the other minerals.
Stress and sleep deprivation can temporarily decrease serum iron levels. A desire to chew ice, eat chalk or dirt, and an inability to tolerate cold weather are common with iron anemia. Symptoms may include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, nocturnal leg cramps, and spoon-shaped finger/toe nails with ridges in nails. Fifty percent of infant anemica is often an allergic condition caused by pasteurized milk which causes GI tract bleeding.
Possibilities of decreased serum iron include:
- B12 and/or B6 deficiency
- Parasites (very common) and/or Candida (determine if you suffer from Candida with my at home saliva test.)
- Stomach/gut dysfunction. Intestinal inflammation.
- Excessive blood loss from heavy menstrual periods
- Metforim (Rx drug used to treat type 2 diabetes)
- Low HCL – hypochlorhydria
- Excess of: aspirin use; fluoride; zinc; calcium (inhibits iron absorption)
- Long distance runners
- H. Pylori
- Rheumatoid arthritis; Lupus
- Poor diet (too much sugar & starchy foods)
- Vegetarian diets
- Tyrosine deficiency – commonly overlooked problem seen in elderly patients living on the “tea & toast diet”, lack of daily protein intake.
Fiber (phytate), tannins found in tea, coffee, purple grapes, rice, walnuts and cocoa inhibit iron absorption. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) increases iron absorption. Increase intake of red meat, eggs, (especially yolks), spinach and leafy greens to improve iron absorption.
A large majority of people are deficient in hydrochloric acid (HCL). HCL helps you absorb supplemental iron and it also helps your body to achieve once-normal body iron. When you take Digestzymes with meals, you no longer need to take continuous iron supplementation.
As you can see from above, not absorbing iron is usually just the most obvious symptom of a much broader problem.
What about too much iron? Because of the health risks associated with high levels of iron, all men and women over 40 should have their iron levels tested. An excess of iron accelerates the aging process. Symptoms may include lack of energy, joint pain, diminished sex drive, abdominal pain and heart problems.
Alcohol and drugs, such as oral contraceptives, can increase iron levels. Iron overload is a silent killer that can result in:
- Free radical disease, oxidative stress and cellular aging (increased ferritin or increased iron are known free radical initiators)
- Endocrine problems
- Cancer
- Liver cirrhosis
- Bacterial infections
- Dementia
- Stroke
If you have high iron levels:
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Avoid cast-iron cookware
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Avoid raw shellfish – it might contain a bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus that can be deadly to people with high iron levels.
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Avoid foods with added iron, ferrous or ferric (read ingredients list)
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Avoid supplements with iron
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Consume foods high in copper such as oysters and shrimp. Copper deficiency causes our tissues to retain excess iron.
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Decrease red meat consumption and foods high in iron
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Donate Blood to lower and remove excess iron, especially if the serum ferritin value is >100 or the transferrin saturation value >35%.
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Drink coffee with iron-rich foods to reduce iron's toxic effects
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Look at liver function
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Supplement with 100 IU of vitamin E
- Test for lead toxicity
- Test for zinc deficiency with the zinc taste test
Tests to determine iron values: Serum iron (optimal ranges are 50-100 mcg/dL). Fasting serum iron and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) are used to calculate the TS% (transferrin-iron saturation percentage). TIBC percent of saturation is the gold standard lab test for the diagnosis of iron overload. The only practical way to determine how much iron a person has in his body is to use blood tests called "serum ferritin" and "transferrin saturation." TIBC is frequently increased with the use of exogenous estrogen. Serum ferritin measures the amount of stored iron in the liver, spleen and bone marrow, and is the second most abundant iron-bearing protein in the body. Note: Fast for 12 hours before your blood is drawn.
If your test results indicate iron levels that are too high or too low, contact me for a Blood Chemistry Analysis, and a specific plan of action and lifestyle modifications to balance your iron stores to more healthy levels.
Sources: Baer DM, Simons JL, Staples RL, Runmore GJ, Morton CJ. Hemochromatosis screening in asymptomatic ambulatory men 30 years of age and older. Am J Med 1995; 98: 464-8.
Herbert V, Shaw S, Jayatilleke E, Stopler-Kasdan T. Most free-radical injury is iron-related: it is promoted by iron, hemin, holoferritin and vitamin C, and inhibited by desferoxamine and apoferritin. Stem Cells 1994; 12: 289-303.
Herbert V. Everyone should be tested for iron disorders. J Am Diet Assoc 1992; 92: 1502-9
