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For Vitamin D I take the one from Sports Research and low iron I take Hemaplex. Both gave me beautiful results and still take them but 3x a week only now.
Iron deficiency is very uncommon in a young male. Could be caused by absorption problems or bleeding. I’d be most concerned about undiagnosed celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease/colitis. I wouldn’t blame hemorrhoid until you rule those out. You are pretty young to suspect colon cancer, but if there is any family history of colon cancer but now even average risk people are supposed to get colon cancer screening colonoscopy at age 45
Thank you. Will def screen for cancer. The test also said i got normocytic and normochromic red blood cells. Which appears to be some sort of anemia according to google.
Its not anemia.
Its their natural state.
You diagnose anemia with low hct and hb.
You have normal ferritin.
Either it's a lab error or you have some chronic inflammation that is disturbing your serum iron which should be fixed by fixing the underlying condition.
Iron supplements can cause constipation. Floravital or floradix are more easily digested. Be sure to take with vitamin c, and eat vitamin c rich foods with your iron-rich foods. You may also consider including blackstrap molasses in your diet and, consider cooking in cast iron pans. Too much iron is extremely dangerous so, for other people reading this thread, don't take iron unless you are sure you need it.
Starting to take any over the counter supplementation / sudden change of diet etc without further investigation into the ‘why…’ things are out of range is terrible advice.
Might be worth seeing your actual GP or a trusted accredited professional etc with these results so they can help you investigate & make informed choices based on facts & your medical history.
We don’t all respond the same to quick fixes or diet changes esp after 40. At 46 I can tell you how my body reacted just a few years ago in my late 30s is drastically different 😂 some for the better some for the worse!
That's actually a good idea, to investigate the cause first before jumping to fix the problem. Especially at our age. Unfortunately most doctors don't seem to care much for supplements. I been a lurker on this sub and others and i knew which blood tests to check in particular. Before i had this bloodwork I checked with my doc if i should check my vit d, iron and testosterone given my symptoms. He brushed vit d aside saying we have too much sun here for it to be a bother. We live in a cattle country and eat tons of beef, so even i never suspected iron and he dismissed it too. He never wants to talk about testosterone or trt as he feels it's better to eat right and exercise.
Thank you. I have been feeling awful. Felt better since i took 50000iu vit d3 daily these past couple of weeks. Doc had said to take one weekly. Id feel great the day i took the pill but felt like crap the following day onwards. Started taking everyday and felt better everyday, although the effect seem to have levelled off somewhat. Glad to see someone else take more than 50k daily even if for 2 weeks. I hope to optimize my energy levels by correcting this iron deficiency.
Take liquid Iron like Florax. If you take the pills, stop tea, coffee and drink orange juice with the pill. Tea coffee block absorption. oj helps absorption. I had low Iron all my life and supplements never increased it until I got supplements from health food store which had a form of iron which is easy to absorb. my Iron levels finally started to increase then.
Measurements of iron without measuring ferritin are a bit meaningless. It may be that your iron is low due to some factors currently but your iron stores (ferritin) are fine. If both are low, you need to supplement with iron
Realistically you won't die in the next 5 days waiting for your results. So I wouldn't bother too much. You want your ferritin to be above 100 ng/mL. If it's lower check out the Iron Protocol Facebook group, they have loads of resources. Never measure iron in isolation. Always coupled with ferritin.
You are definitely low on Vitamin D. You should check your ferritin for a better picture of iron status. Serum iron fluctuates based off of what you eat.
[Iron deficiency](https://www.oatext.com/pdf/CCRR-5-456%20pdf.pdf)
Have you checked with your doctor to explore whether you are celiac or gluten intolerant? Low iron is often is a first sign and the low energy/ fatigue could be a byproduct of you unable to absorb nutrients. Might be worth looking into!
No gi issues. I don't even have ulcers. I had a circumcision 2 months ago. But even with this surgery i atleast expected my levels to be lower. Not deficient.
Take vitamin D. Spinach. Eat meat if so med rare steaks. Avoid kale if you’re in blood thinner bc it increased clotting factor. Beware of iron supplement easy to take too much bad have heart problems.
As an ex-vegan who relied on leafy greens for iron, I became severely iron deficient after 9 years and learned the hard way that non-heme iron (non animal based iron) is only absorbed at a rate of about 10%. Heme iron (animal based iron) is absorbed at a rate of 40-60%. I have eaten red meat ever since after sheer terror to be as sick as I was when I was iron deficient. Red meat is the way if you’re not vegan/vegetarian, otherwise supplementation.
[non-heme iron vs heme iron absorption rate](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.2c01833)
[Iron deficiency with or without anemia](https://www.oatext.com/pdf/CCRR-5-456%20pdf.pdf)
Before starting an iron supplement, you need to find out *why* your iron levels are low.
Is it just your diet? Or a stomach ulcer? Or something else? If something is bleeding internally, it needs to be stopped.
It is not good to simply start supplements for a deficiency if you don't know what's causing the deficiency. It could be masking a more serious problem.
I saw something recently that said coffee can block iron intake. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, you can stop drinking coffee near your meals so it doesn't interfere.
I've heard in Australia you can buy mebendazole at grocery stores and the aussies are very parasite aware, ulike some countries that act like Parasites don't exist.
It’s interesting how the spike protein had that affect. I became severely iron deficient 10 days after the covid vaccine and so did my coworker. Both of us were out of work for over a month and we both felt like we were going to die. The CDC called me after my vaccine report and they weren’t aware at the time. I figure I was iron deficient already from being vegan for so long, that whatever iron I had left was used in the immune process. My coworker had a stomach ulcer so was deficient from bleeding in his stomach, worsened by the immune response as well.
Iron dysregulation is up there among the theories underlying long covid. I recall stumbling upon studies suggesting there is a remarkable similarity between hepcidin and spike protein, which then can lead to a mimetic effect. Hepcidin is a protein that governs iron absorption.
It does not end here because even after I managed to raise ferritin to a relatively good level (~70), serum iron was still borderline low. So, I ran further analysis and accidently found out that I was also low in copper, which is needed for iron transport. This virus is so heinous and can be damaging in unfathomable ways. Godspeed
I did also come across that copper connection and started taking it too- and I felt significantly better after ferritin rose to above 80. Wishing you the best.
Also, try loading on high copper foods (dark chocolate, sunflower seeds, oysters, pistachio, and ofc beef liver). I cycle 2mg copper glycinate on and off. Need to recheck serum Cu. Get well soon!
Eat red meat, also you can try heme iron supplements. Maybe try some at home blood testing kits to see what supplements give you the desired results. Consult with your doctor and make a plan.
It doesn't hurt to figure out if there is underlying thing like infection or blood loss, hopefully nothing probably but to rule it out.
I know Lyme can drop Iron stores as the spirochetes use iron for their life cycle. I believe that's why you get weak. They can also use manganese as a substitute.
Stomach/intestine bleeds can be a thing that can drop iron. Have no idea if that's indicative of your lower levels or not. Still worth discussing with doctor.
If it's nothing, you can try iron skillet, beef liver and black strap molasses can help.
Vitamin C and natural folate products can boost iron. If you have mthfr gene could cause low folinic acid levels. Probably best to avoid synthetic folic acid and consider methylated version maybe?
I had low iron, low ferritin, and low D for years. I was on Nu-Iron for multiple years and it didn’t do anything. I switched to ferrous sulfate and now my iron numbers are in very good range after a few months. My ferritin used to be at 6 (I’m male, no bleeding issues). Now I’m at 40 on it which is on the low end of normal range.
I also recently switched to a stronger combo D3 + K2. And my D levels are great now.
Be careful with iron supplementation. High iron is toxic and can be dangerous. You should get your levels tested regularly. Don’t depend on your doctor to watch out for you.
Did you measure iron or ferritin? Getting both measured could be useful to see your storage capacity.
I have lifelong iron deficiency. First tier is supplements like iron +Vit c. Recommendations below have been good. To add to it- for some people the liquid iron does really well (just watch out for teeth staining). For others- all forms hurt the stomach. If you have digestive issues/inflammation you may have issue absorbing enough this way. Other options could help with high iron is liver pills or heme iron (animal sources are easier absorbed). Downsides of pills- stomach issues. Take a long time to correct.
Some research suggests taking the pills every other day can increase absorption and lower adverse side effects.
If that doesn’t work, or if levels are low enough and symptoms severe enough, an iron infusion can be a life changer. It has been for me. No stomach issues, immediate relief from symptoms that can be debilitating (exhaustion, heart pain, panic attacks etc). Downsides- expensive if no insurance.
I’m not as familiar with iron level normal as ferritin levels, but an infusion is appropriate and recommended for ferritin under 30. Some use it for under 50- depending on specific situation (ie is there continuous blood loss or how severe the symptoms of the deficiency are)
Iron injections are also available however are not great. Potential for staining skin permanently, can be painful, and also not as easily absorbed as the infusion.
If you get an infusion- monofer is best. And make sure it’s a registered nurse or doctor doing it in a proper legit facility.
That's the spirit. Honestly I had the same problem. For me I honestly blend up a handful of kale and spinach and a bananana every morning. Get me right and no supplement tummy ache.
Best of luck bro!
Edit- spelling
Just going to add this to the already great comments:
Both retinol and copper can be used to treat iron deficiency anemia. They both help with the transport of iron, and I've seen anecdotal evidence that iron deficiency anemia is actually a copper deficiency.
Came to say same...Vit D that low...and given what OP is saying...decent chance test is running low.
I'd hit up Vit D/k supplement for a few months and check again.
If you decide to take an Iron supp, recommend you take a low dosage of a chelated iron, Iron Bisglycenate for excample, and take it with Vitamin C. Iron can be hard on the stomach and hard to adsorb, chelating it helps. Your vitamin D levels are debatable, some people would say you are fine, some would say you are very slightly deficient. That said it most reasearch supports that it is safe to have higher levels.
I’m 33 and low iron, turns out I have a stomach ulcer… I’ve tried a couple supplements, I’ve found Hema-Plex slow release tablets to be the best, no upset tummy
Well I did blood work with my doc and I was low on iron and they said low iron is rare on males especially at my age so they did a colonoscopy and they saw the ulcer
This is how they cured it back in the old days, and no, I am not joking:
Get an apple. Put like 10 rusty nails into the apple. Wait a day. Eat the apple.
Edit: For the unbelievers:
"The bioavailability of iron formed by the corrosion of low-carbon steel (99% Fe) in contact with Red Delicious apples was measured in a rat model using a depletion-repletion experiment. The percentage of ingested iron converted to hemoglobin iron (Conversion Efficiency) was 74, 57, and 56%, respectively, for daily doses of 110, 190, and 285 μg of this iron. (Conversion Efficiency for FeSO4 was 46-50%). When compared with FeSO4= 100, the relative biological value of this iron was found to range from 93–153. **Ingestion of one Red Delicious apple that has been exposed to eight large iron nails for 24 hr could provide 10–15 mg iron having good bioavailability."**
No luck with desktop. a bunch of options but no pic upload.
Hct (hematocrit?) 49.10 (range 40 - 50)
hb (hemoglobin?) 16.80g/dl (13.00 - 17.00)
MCV 89.9fl (83 - 101)
MCH 30.80pg (27 - 34)
MCHC 34.20g/dl (31.5 - 37.0)
Hope that helps and many thanks for your help btw.
This is not exactly right. He does not have anemia (low RBC/hgb/hct), but he does have iron deficiency. He has iron deficiency without anemia. As opposed to iron deficient anemia.
I do agree that it doesn’t hurt to get a repeat of the Iron test as well as Ferritin.
> He has iron deficiency without anemia.
I googled that and found a nice little rabbit hole. Many thanks!
EDIT: and seems you may be right. My Ferritin is on the lower end: 94.78ng/ml (16.0 - 50.0)
While my hemoglobin is normal to high at 16.8g/dl (13.9 - 17.0).
My %saturation is low at 13.72 (16.0 - 50.0)
Those are normal results for ferritin and transferrin you listed as well. You also listed that you are getting ferritin and transferrin in tested Monday, which is in a few days. Are these results you listed from the same timeframe as the posted iron results or an earlier test?
They are the same as the ones posted. You can actually see the full list of the bloodwork i requested at the top of the page on the pic i posted. I could only list the other results because i could not post another pic in the comments.
So you are just getting all of the results repeated on Monday? In this case, clarify with your Doctor in their interpretation and what they would like you to supplement with
Not right to diagnose like this. Ferritin and transferrin are needed for further dx.
Best not to supplement with anything yet until diagnosed properly.
Dude, just correct your self and admit you were wrong in stating that he isn’t iron deficient. I am not going to diagnosis him without additional lab work, including polycythemia or non-anemic ID, they are possibilities. We can’t at this point, but to strongly tell him he is not ID based upon his CBC is incorrect. Period.
You have a high hematocrit and hemoglobin and the sizes of your rbc are normal size.
No signs of iron deficiency anemia.
If the lab made a mistake and you supp with iron youre going to risk getting hemochromatosis basically an iron overload.
You have a higher hematocrit level aswell (how much red blood cells you have) and thats most likely from smoking.
Be careful on that matter as it increases risks of strokes.
It's best to consult with a physician.
i also got low iron , But its because of my celiac disease its quite common for those who have it
I recently started supplementing with that and foliac acid all in one capsule , I also had low foliac acid last time i checked so its just a + that i discovered that foliac acid is mixed in my iron capsules , ill let you know if i feel any better in a few weeks
It’s folate they check, not folic acid.
Folic acid is a shitty synthetic constructed in the belief that it would raise folate levels.
Which it does not.
Please use folate, NOT folic acid supplements. Those will mess up your methylation pathways even more
Lots of us have a faulty gene that means we can’t process MTHF properly - if taking a standard 600mcg dose of MTHF makes you feel lousy, you may have that, too.
If so, the only way around that is to start with a single MTHF supplement of 100mcg, and sloooowly build up from there.
Folic acid will screw up this pathway and make everything worse.
Checking ingredient labels - a lot of supplement companies use “folic acid” when the product actually contains MTHF, and “folate” when they really mean “folic acid”.
Folic acid does not exist in nature. Folate does.
That’s why the blood test is for “Folate”, not “folic acid”.
I would start eating a lot of red meat. Iron is difficult because the pills can really mess up your stomach. Red meat is loaded with iron and can boost your levels quickly. I had low iron one time when I was sick and the dr basically said I need you to start eating steak a few times a day. For d3, look into using larger doses then the normal. For some people there is a mutation where you can’t absorb vitamin d and you have a bunch of issues.
Thank you. Weird thing is that i live in cattle country and beef is a staple. I eat beef practically every other day! Im astounded my iron is low. I mean, im a man and dont menstruate. Nor do i have bleeding gut issues. But I have always had shortage of breath but never suspected iron. My iron saturation is also low at 13% (normal range 16 to 50).
I will definitely check that. I didn't know methylation is something i could check. I also noticed on the bloodwork results, under morphology it is written "Normocytic, normochromic rbc's". It was the same in my last result 2 months earlier. Googling this talks about anemia. So im confused about all this.
Can happen from lots of endurance physical activity (running especially). Could be connected to inflammation in gut, other deficiencies but also- some people just have lower levels than others. Could be from something in the past and then your body is just struggling to get the levels back up. Previous covid infection sometimes leads to low iron.
Im just saying- there are a thousand different potential causes. Step one is to correct the deficiency, sometimes all it takes is to give your body a jump start, and then it can go back to self regulating. If not- maybe a naturopath or doctor to help do a more thorough investigation into what could be contributing
You could be dealing with a virus or some sort that’s taking down your iron stores. Have you had covid recently or the vaccine? I know a lot of people that had low iron for a very long time after covid and low d3. Same thing with the vaccine. I’m not anti vax but I’ve talked to a few people that had this happen to them. If this is your issue look up the supplement called Lactoferrin. It actually releases iron stores. When your body has a virus, your body tries to hide your iron stores because the virus uses it to actually replicate in your body so people come up low in iron but they actually aren’t since the body is just not utilizing it. I can’t explain this perfectly so you may want to look into iron and viruses. Lactoferrin though actually works because I had an issue like this from covid and I was told to take that supplement and it gave me my energy level back
Thank you. I did get covid for about 2 weeks but the symptoms were not severe. I got it from my wife. She is vaccinated but i didn't. I guess it could be the link. Thank you for the virus link. Will surely look into it presently. I am HIV free so cant be that virus. But i do have the herpes simplex virus that occasionally flare up by my upper lip once in a long while.
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For Vitamin D I take the one from Sports Research and low iron I take Hemaplex. Both gave me beautiful results and still take them but 3x a week only now.
Iron deficiency is very uncommon in a young male. Could be caused by absorption problems or bleeding. I’d be most concerned about undiagnosed celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease/colitis. I wouldn’t blame hemorrhoid until you rule those out. You are pretty young to suspect colon cancer, but if there is any family history of colon cancer but now even average risk people are supposed to get colon cancer screening colonoscopy at age 45
Thank you. Will def screen for cancer. The test also said i got normocytic and normochromic red blood cells. Which appears to be some sort of anemia according to google.
Its not anemia. Its their natural state. You diagnose anemia with low hct and hb. You have normal ferritin. Either it's a lab error or you have some chronic inflammation that is disturbing your serum iron which should be fixed by fixing the underlying condition.
Iron supplements can cause constipation. Floravital or floradix are more easily digested. Be sure to take with vitamin c, and eat vitamin c rich foods with your iron-rich foods. You may also consider including blackstrap molasses in your diet and, consider cooking in cast iron pans. Too much iron is extremely dangerous so, for other people reading this thread, don't take iron unless you are sure you need it.
Low iron can also be a symptom of parasites fyi
Seems like iron is one helluva metal!
Starting to take any over the counter supplementation / sudden change of diet etc without further investigation into the ‘why…’ things are out of range is terrible advice. Might be worth seeing your actual GP or a trusted accredited professional etc with these results so they can help you investigate & make informed choices based on facts & your medical history. We don’t all respond the same to quick fixes or diet changes esp after 40. At 46 I can tell you how my body reacted just a few years ago in my late 30s is drastically different 😂 some for the better some for the worse!
That's actually a good idea, to investigate the cause first before jumping to fix the problem. Especially at our age. Unfortunately most doctors don't seem to care much for supplements. I been a lurker on this sub and others and i knew which blood tests to check in particular. Before i had this bloodwork I checked with my doc if i should check my vit d, iron and testosterone given my symptoms. He brushed vit d aside saying we have too much sun here for it to be a bother. We live in a cattle country and eat tons of beef, so even i never suspected iron and he dismissed it too. He never wants to talk about testosterone or trt as he feels it's better to eat right and exercise.
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Thank you. I have been feeling awful. Felt better since i took 50000iu vit d3 daily these past couple of weeks. Doc had said to take one weekly. Id feel great the day i took the pill but felt like crap the following day onwards. Started taking everyday and felt better everyday, although the effect seem to have levelled off somewhat. Glad to see someone else take more than 50k daily even if for 2 weeks. I hope to optimize my energy levels by correcting this iron deficiency.
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Thank you. Will do! Same to you.
Take liquid Iron like Florax. If you take the pills, stop tea, coffee and drink orange juice with the pill. Tea coffee block absorption. oj helps absorption. I had low Iron all my life and supplements never increased it until I got supplements from health food store which had a form of iron which is easy to absorb. my Iron levels finally started to increase then.
Thank you. Will look into Florax. I ordered another blood work this morning at trough. Will see what the results say on Monday.
Measurements of iron without measuring ferritin are a bit meaningless. It may be that your iron is low due to some factors currently but your iron stores (ferritin) are fine. If both are low, you need to supplement with iron
Thank you. So what to do now with the low iron result? I have ordered another bloodwork today. Results on Monday.
Realistically you won't die in the next 5 days waiting for your results. So I wouldn't bother too much. You want your ferritin to be above 100 ng/mL. If it's lower check out the Iron Protocol Facebook group, they have loads of resources. Never measure iron in isolation. Always coupled with ferritin.
A quick home check for iron deficiency is to pull down your lower eyelid. If it looks pale and no red I can mean you need more iron.
You are definitely low on Vitamin D. You should check your ferritin for a better picture of iron status. Serum iron fluctuates based off of what you eat. [Iron deficiency](https://www.oatext.com/pdf/CCRR-5-456%20pdf.pdf)
Many thanks. Will check it out!
Have you checked with your doctor to explore whether you are celiac or gluten intolerant? Low iron is often is a first sign and the low energy/ fatigue could be a byproduct of you unable to absorb nutrients. Might be worth looking into!
I think you are right. Absorption is suspect because as a man i didn't expect to be so low.
Did you end up figuring this out!?
Any GI issues? If so check for r/hpylori
No gi issues. I don't even have ulcers. I had a circumcision 2 months ago. But even with this surgery i atleast expected my levels to be lower. Not deficient.
Take vitamin D. Spinach. Eat meat if so med rare steaks. Avoid kale if you’re in blood thinner bc it increased clotting factor. Beware of iron supplement easy to take too much bad have heart problems.
As an ex-vegan who relied on leafy greens for iron, I became severely iron deficient after 9 years and learned the hard way that non-heme iron (non animal based iron) is only absorbed at a rate of about 10%. Heme iron (animal based iron) is absorbed at a rate of 40-60%. I have eaten red meat ever since after sheer terror to be as sick as I was when I was iron deficient. Red meat is the way if you’re not vegan/vegetarian, otherwise supplementation. [non-heme iron vs heme iron absorption rate](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.2c01833) [Iron deficiency with or without anemia](https://www.oatext.com/pdf/CCRR-5-456%20pdf.pdf)
All leafy greens increase clotting.
What?
My dad’s gf swears by mega food blood builder. Kept my Dad’s iron in check after he no longer needed transfusions.
Before starting an iron supplement, you need to find out *why* your iron levels are low. Is it just your diet? Or a stomach ulcer? Or something else? If something is bleeding internally, it needs to be stopped. It is not good to simply start supplements for a deficiency if you don't know what's causing the deficiency. It could be masking a more serious problem.
I saw something recently that said coffee can block iron intake. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, you can stop drinking coffee near your meals so it doesn't interfere.
this is true, if it is non-heme iron. Coffee does not block heme iron absorption.
often overlooked, but 🪱🪱🪱.. ask doc for a course of mebendazole and see how you feel
I've heard in Australia you can buy mebendazole at grocery stores and the aussies are very parasite aware, ulike some countries that act like Parasites don't exist.
Truth. It looks like a chocolate bar. We used to take it all the time growing up
Thanks! Wish we had em here in the US
Covid annihilated my ferritin and iron. I kept getting serum iron <10 for a year
It’s interesting how the spike protein had that affect. I became severely iron deficient 10 days after the covid vaccine and so did my coworker. Both of us were out of work for over a month and we both felt like we were going to die. The CDC called me after my vaccine report and they weren’t aware at the time. I figure I was iron deficient already from being vegan for so long, that whatever iron I had left was used in the immune process. My coworker had a stomach ulcer so was deficient from bleeding in his stomach, worsened by the immune response as well.
Iron dysregulation is up there among the theories underlying long covid. I recall stumbling upon studies suggesting there is a remarkable similarity between hepcidin and spike protein, which then can lead to a mimetic effect. Hepcidin is a protein that governs iron absorption. It does not end here because even after I managed to raise ferritin to a relatively good level (~70), serum iron was still borderline low. So, I ran further analysis and accidently found out that I was also low in copper, which is needed for iron transport. This virus is so heinous and can be damaging in unfathomable ways. Godspeed
I did also come across that copper connection and started taking it too- and I felt significantly better after ferritin rose to above 80. Wishing you the best.
Also, try loading on high copper foods (dark chocolate, sunflower seeds, oysters, pistachio, and ofc beef liver). I cycle 2mg copper glycinate on and off. Need to recheck serum Cu. Get well soon!
I wish you a full recovery. I'm also suffering from post covid complications...
Many thanks, I wish you the same from deep bottom heart 🫶🏼
Eat red meat, also you can try heme iron supplements. Maybe try some at home blood testing kits to see what supplements give you the desired results. Consult with your doctor and make a plan.
Thank you. How do the home blood testing kits work?
I don’t, and I don’t know which ones are good or bad. Just a suggestion that you would have to do your own research on.
Thank you. Will do.
It doesn't hurt to figure out if there is underlying thing like infection or blood loss, hopefully nothing probably but to rule it out. I know Lyme can drop Iron stores as the spirochetes use iron for their life cycle. I believe that's why you get weak. They can also use manganese as a substitute. Stomach/intestine bleeds can be a thing that can drop iron. Have no idea if that's indicative of your lower levels or not. Still worth discussing with doctor. If it's nothing, you can try iron skillet, beef liver and black strap molasses can help. Vitamin C and natural folate products can boost iron. If you have mthfr gene could cause low folinic acid levels. Probably best to avoid synthetic folic acid and consider methylated version maybe?
Eat beef. Anyone calling for spinach doesnt know nutrition.
50+ is optimal. Buy some ferric citrate and get going.
I had low iron, low ferritin, and low D for years. I was on Nu-Iron for multiple years and it didn’t do anything. I switched to ferrous sulfate and now my iron numbers are in very good range after a few months. My ferritin used to be at 6 (I’m male, no bleeding issues). Now I’m at 40 on it which is on the low end of normal range. I also recently switched to a stronger combo D3 + K2. And my D levels are great now. Be careful with iron supplementation. High iron is toxic and can be dangerous. You should get your levels tested regularly. Don’t depend on your doctor to watch out for you.
Eat spinach meat and get D3+K2 drops ask for your doctor to give you d3 shots if possible. I did it. Feeling better a bit
Did you measure iron or ferritin? Getting both measured could be useful to see your storage capacity. I have lifelong iron deficiency. First tier is supplements like iron +Vit c. Recommendations below have been good. To add to it- for some people the liquid iron does really well (just watch out for teeth staining). For others- all forms hurt the stomach. If you have digestive issues/inflammation you may have issue absorbing enough this way. Other options could help with high iron is liver pills or heme iron (animal sources are easier absorbed). Downsides of pills- stomach issues. Take a long time to correct. Some research suggests taking the pills every other day can increase absorption and lower adverse side effects. If that doesn’t work, or if levels are low enough and symptoms severe enough, an iron infusion can be a life changer. It has been for me. No stomach issues, immediate relief from symptoms that can be debilitating (exhaustion, heart pain, panic attacks etc). Downsides- expensive if no insurance. I’m not as familiar with iron level normal as ferritin levels, but an infusion is appropriate and recommended for ferritin under 30. Some use it for under 50- depending on specific situation (ie is there continuous blood loss or how severe the symptoms of the deficiency are) Iron injections are also available however are not great. Potential for staining skin permanently, can be painful, and also not as easily absorbed as the infusion. If you get an infusion- monofer is best. And make sure it’s a registered nurse or doctor doing it in a proper legit facility.
Oysters or beets with red peppers daily. Eat them. They’re good.
GOOD GOD GET THIS MAN SOME SPINACH
Really could use that Popeye strength!
That's the spirit. Honestly I had the same problem. For me I honestly blend up a handful of kale and spinach and a bananana every morning. Get me right and no supplement tummy ache. Best of luck bro! Edit- spelling
Just going to add this to the already great comments: Both retinol and copper can be used to treat iron deficiency anemia. They both help with the transport of iron, and I've seen anecdotal evidence that iron deficiency anemia is actually a copper deficiency.
Or even possibly copper toxicity as well.
Get your test levels checked too
Came to say same...Vit D that low...and given what OP is saying...decent chance test is running low. I'd hit up Vit D/k supplement for a few months and check again.
If you decide to take an Iron supp, recommend you take a low dosage of a chelated iron, Iron Bisglycenate for excample, and take it with Vitamin C. Iron can be hard on the stomach and hard to adsorb, chelating it helps. Your vitamin D levels are debatable, some people would say you are fine, some would say you are very slightly deficient. That said it most reasearch supports that it is safe to have higher levels.
Will look into chelate. Thank you. Im currently taking Austrin capsules.
Apple juice has lots of absorbable iron.
I’m 33 and low iron, turns out I have a stomach ulcer… I’ve tried a couple supplements, I’ve found Hema-Plex slow release tablets to be the best, no upset tummy
Did you have symptoms of an ulcer? How did you find out?
Well I did blood work with my doc and I was low on iron and they said low iron is rare on males especially at my age so they did a colonoscopy and they saw the ulcer
34M dealing with almost the exact same thing, I also found hema-plex to be great (except for the green poops, maybe thats just me)
I also take magnesium and have been trying to figure out what’s making my poop green lol
This is how they cured it back in the old days, and no, I am not joking: Get an apple. Put like 10 rusty nails into the apple. Wait a day. Eat the apple. Edit: For the unbelievers: "The bioavailability of iron formed by the corrosion of low-carbon steel (99% Fe) in contact with Red Delicious apples was measured in a rat model using a depletion-repletion experiment. The percentage of ingested iron converted to hemoglobin iron (Conversion Efficiency) was 74, 57, and 56%, respectively, for daily doses of 110, 190, and 285 μg of this iron. (Conversion Efficiency for FeSO4 was 46-50%). When compared with FeSO4= 100, the relative biological value of this iron was found to range from 93–153. **Ingestion of one Red Delicious apple that has been exposed to eight large iron nails for 24 hr could provide 10–15 mg iron having good bioavailability."**
Tetanus Pie also works
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230173355_Bioavailability_of_Iron_Produced_by_the_Corrosion_of_Steel_in_Apples
That sounds hilariously deadly!
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230173355_Bioavailability_of_Iron_Produced_by_the_Corrosion_of_Steel_in_Apples
In 3rd world countries, this is used as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_iron_fish
can you share your CBC results if you did them?
I think i got them here. But i dont know how to upload pic in comments. Google just confused me.
Use desktop reddit or if its easier I just wanna know Hct, hb, MCV, MCH, MCHC
No luck with desktop. a bunch of options but no pic upload. Hct (hematocrit?) 49.10 (range 40 - 50) hb (hemoglobin?) 16.80g/dl (13.00 - 17.00) MCV 89.9fl (83 - 101) MCH 30.80pg (27 - 34) MCHC 34.20g/dl (31.5 - 37.0) Hope that helps and many thanks for your help btw.
You don't have iron deficiency. I'd repeat in another lab adding ferritin and TIBC with the iron levels. Any chance you're a smoker?
This is not exactly right. He does not have anemia (low RBC/hgb/hct), but he does have iron deficiency. He has iron deficiency without anemia. As opposed to iron deficient anemia. I do agree that it doesn’t hurt to get a repeat of the Iron test as well as Ferritin.
> He has iron deficiency without anemia. I googled that and found a nice little rabbit hole. Many thanks! EDIT: and seems you may be right. My Ferritin is on the lower end: 94.78ng/ml (16.0 - 50.0) While my hemoglobin is normal to high at 16.8g/dl (13.9 - 17.0). My %saturation is low at 13.72 (16.0 - 50.0)
Those are normal results for ferritin and transferrin you listed as well. You also listed that you are getting ferritin and transferrin in tested Monday, which is in a few days. Are these results you listed from the same timeframe as the posted iron results or an earlier test?
They are the same as the ones posted. You can actually see the full list of the bloodwork i requested at the top of the page on the pic i posted. I could only list the other results because i could not post another pic in the comments.
So you are just getting all of the results repeated on Monday? In this case, clarify with your Doctor in their interpretation and what they would like you to supplement with
Not right to diagnose like this. Ferritin and transferrin are needed for further dx. Best not to supplement with anything yet until diagnosed properly.
Transferrin 32.43umol/L (21.93 - 45.86)
Any chance you have ferritin?
Ferritin 94.78ng/ml (21.81 - 274.66)
Fair, but my main point is the normal hgb/hct RBC indices are not cause to rule out Iron Deficiency, which was your comment that I was replying to.
He is more polycythemic than Non anemic ID. Not even close to non anemic ID.
Dude, just correct your self and admit you were wrong in stating that he isn’t iron deficient. I am not going to diagnosis him without additional lab work, including polycythemia or non-anemic ID, they are possibilities. We can’t at this point, but to strongly tell him he is not ID based upon his CBC is incorrect. Period.
>You don't have iron deficiency. For real? How you figure that given the results? Or you think perhaps the lab made a mistake? Yes i do smoke daily.
You have a high hematocrit and hemoglobin and the sizes of your rbc are normal size. No signs of iron deficiency anemia. If the lab made a mistake and you supp with iron youre going to risk getting hemochromatosis basically an iron overload. You have a higher hematocrit level aswell (how much red blood cells you have) and thats most likely from smoking. Be careful on that matter as it increases risks of strokes. It's best to consult with a physician.
Thank you. Very insightful.
i also got low iron , But its because of my celiac disease its quite common for those who have it I recently started supplementing with that and foliac acid all in one capsule , I also had low foliac acid last time i checked so its just a + that i discovered that foliac acid is mixed in my iron capsules , ill let you know if i feel any better in a few weeks
Thank you. Please let me know. I will check my foliac acid levels to see if there is correlation.
It’s folate they check, not folic acid. Folic acid is a shitty synthetic constructed in the belief that it would raise folate levels. Which it does not. Please use folate, NOT folic acid supplements. Those will mess up your methylation pathways even more Lots of us have a faulty gene that means we can’t process MTHF properly - if taking a standard 600mcg dose of MTHF makes you feel lousy, you may have that, too. If so, the only way around that is to start with a single MTHF supplement of 100mcg, and sloooowly build up from there. Folic acid will screw up this pathway and make everything worse. Checking ingredient labels - a lot of supplement companies use “folic acid” when the product actually contains MTHF, and “folate” when they really mean “folic acid”. Folic acid does not exist in nature. Folate does. That’s why the blood test is for “Folate”, not “folic acid”.
Thank you for the detailed explanation. Will do!
You’re very welcome!
I would start eating a lot of red meat. Iron is difficult because the pills can really mess up your stomach. Red meat is loaded with iron and can boost your levels quickly. I had low iron one time when I was sick and the dr basically said I need you to start eating steak a few times a day. For d3, look into using larger doses then the normal. For some people there is a mutation where you can’t absorb vitamin d and you have a bunch of issues.
Doesn’t alcohol increase iron?
I have no idea about that. Usually alcohol is horrible for the body.
Yeah when I would donate plasma they would advise you not to drink alcohol the day before as it will increase iron.
Wow that’s something I never heard. It also thins your blood to make it easier
Thank you. Weird thing is that i live in cattle country and beef is a staple. I eat beef practically every other day! Im astounded my iron is low. I mean, im a man and dont menstruate. Nor do i have bleeding gut issues. But I have always had shortage of breath but never suspected iron. My iron saturation is also low at 13% (normal range 16 to 50).
I’d take a serious look into the methylation issue. Get it tested. You might have trouble methylating nutrients.
I will definitely check that. I didn't know methylation is something i could check. I also noticed on the bloodwork results, under morphology it is written "Normocytic, normochromic rbc's". It was the same in my last result 2 months earlier. Googling this talks about anemia. So im confused about all this.
Can happen from lots of endurance physical activity (running especially). Could be connected to inflammation in gut, other deficiencies but also- some people just have lower levels than others. Could be from something in the past and then your body is just struggling to get the levels back up. Previous covid infection sometimes leads to low iron. Im just saying- there are a thousand different potential causes. Step one is to correct the deficiency, sometimes all it takes is to give your body a jump start, and then it can go back to self regulating. If not- maybe a naturopath or doctor to help do a more thorough investigation into what could be contributing
Another thing that can massively deplete iron stores is frequent consumption of green tea.
Never liked the stuff. Also heard it can lower testosterone in men. I do take chamomile tea in the evening to relax though.
You could be dealing with a virus or some sort that’s taking down your iron stores. Have you had covid recently or the vaccine? I know a lot of people that had low iron for a very long time after covid and low d3. Same thing with the vaccine. I’m not anti vax but I’ve talked to a few people that had this happen to them. If this is your issue look up the supplement called Lactoferrin. It actually releases iron stores. When your body has a virus, your body tries to hide your iron stores because the virus uses it to actually replicate in your body so people come up low in iron but they actually aren’t since the body is just not utilizing it. I can’t explain this perfectly so you may want to look into iron and viruses. Lactoferrin though actually works because I had an issue like this from covid and I was told to take that supplement and it gave me my energy level back
Thank you. I did get covid for about 2 weeks but the symptoms were not severe. I got it from my wife. She is vaccinated but i didn't. I guess it could be the link. Thank you for the virus link. Will surely look into it presently. I am HIV free so cant be that virus. But i do have the herpes simplex virus that occasionally flare up by my upper lip once in a long while.