Exhaustion – increased iron intake can help
Iron deficiency impairs oxygen transport in the body which can cause fatigue
Increased iron intake can reduce exhaustion
Iron deficiency usually affects women, but men can also be affected, especially runners.
Iron deficiency, primarily due to inadequate dietary iron intake, is considered the most common nutritional deficiency leading to anaemia. Deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin B9/B12 can also result in anaemia due to their specific roles in the synthesis of haemoglobin.
Iron deficiency can lead to fatigue, headaches, depression, or anxiety.
Calcium prevents the absorption of iron, if the purpose is to increase iron in the body, calcium should be avoided 1 hour before and after iron intake.
There are different types of iron in both food and supplements.
-Heme iron is found in meat, fish, and poultry. Heme iron is the most bioavailable form of iron, as up to 40% of it is readily absorbed by your body.
-Non-heme iron primarily comes from plant sources and is present in grains, vegetables and fortfed foods. In terms of its bioavailability, non-heme iron is absorbed much less efciently, only 2-5%.
-Artificial non-heme iron in medicine that also has low bioavailability often has added vitamin-C but it often causes stomach problems.
Low iron levels can be diagnosed through regular blood tests. If the doctor does not want to do all the necessary tests, there are many private laboratories that can perform blood tests for iron.
+ Hemoglobin – protein in blood holds oxygen
+ Leukocyter- amount white blood cells
+ MCV – value related to your red blood cells
+ Ferritin – storage capacity of iron in body
+ Iron – measures circulatng iron in blood
+ Transferrin – liver secretes this for iron absorption from food
After reading research on iron deficiency, I showed my doctor that the low Ferritin values and low Transferrin in blood tests may be the cause of iron deficiency and fatigue.
But the doctor said that many people have low values and still feel good.
Since the doctor didn’t listen to me, I started eating heme iron, but I ate less than the daily recommendation, it was due to low Transferrin value from the liver which showed that the body had difficulty absorbing iron.
After a few months of heme iron, the Ferritin value had finally increased by the end of the year 2024 and it improved health.
Professor Allen says that we are different, some are tall, others short, we have different eating habits, and therefore some may need more iron than others to feel good. Ferritin levels should be above 75 in those with restless legs according to research. Allen says that some may even need a Ferritin value of 150 to feel good.
If the liver gives a low Transferrin value, the body often absorbs little iron regardless of how much iron is in the food. In case of illness, the Transferrrin value decreases, but if it is continuously low, it may be because the liver’s function is impaired by:
-inflammation
-stress
-heavy metals
-alcohol
-trauma
Researchers of trauma call it “Post Traumatic Inflammation”, a deep trauma that also affects the condition of the liver.
Researchers say that reducing the intake of sodium salt reduces strain on the liver and kidney.
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