iron
deficiency
- hair loss (thinning)
- Arrythmias
- Fatigue (weak)
- Dark Circles under the eyes
- restless leg
- can't sleep
- cold
- split nails
- Can't concentrate
- Fibromyalgia
Can mimic:
- hyperthyroidism
- vitamin D deficiency
- B12 deficency
- low testoterone
- sleep apnea
non-anemic iron deficiency (sub-clinical)
- normal hemaglobin
- low ferritin (store and release iron - buffering )
yet ferritin levels are higher when you have an infection or inflammation
iron needed to build thryoid hormones, dopamine, for nerve impulses
- not enough iron in your diet, red meat, seafood
- plant iron is not easily absorbed, and block absorption
- inflammation blocks absorption
- stress
- trauma
- low stomach acid prevents absorption, including anti-acids
- phytic acid blocks absorption (found in grains especially whole grains, legumes)
- tannins block absorption (tea, coffee)
- polyphenols block (chocolate, turmeric, red wine)
- Too much calcium or magnesium
- Infection
- Oxalates
It's best to get your iron from your diet before jumping into taking an iron supplement. Foods rich in iron are red meat, liver, and shellfish. However, liver pills or spleen pills could be good supplement options.
You also need to work towards identifying why you're iron deficient so that you can fix the root cause.
natural remedies
If you have too much iron in your body, you can try natural remedies, including:
- Distilled water
- Turmeric
- Cocoa bean
- Black tea
- A phytic acid supplement (IP6)
- EDTA