IRON

[Jherm21]

So I’ve been extremely tired and dizzy for a while now (diagnosed a year ago) I’ve been recieving b12 injections for a year because of chronic low levels. Even with the injections I can’t even get up to 400. I just had my annual check up and she checked my ferritin and it was at an 8 which is considered below range. Also my Mchc levels were below range. My hemoglobin was fine sort of High infact not outside of range at all. There was a note from the doctor to take a multi with iron but I’m not sure how to do this. I know iron is tricky and is weirdly absorbed. I got some liquid iron from another physician do I take this in addition with a vitamin c vitamin? I could use the other vitamins in a multi but don’t want to complicate my gut and destroy it with supplements. I’ve been eating pretty healthy fruit veggies and meat so I don’t know where these low levels are coming from but 6 moths ago my ferritin was 11 so it is decreasing. Any words on how to handle low ferritin. I’m hoping to gain some energy. I was diagnosed with SIBO-methane dominant a year ago and haven’t had treatment for that. Could that be contributing. My doctor finally got xifaxin in samples for me so I don’t know how to take that with the iron. I guess this is a question I should ask my doctor office. Any one experience lower ferritin months after diagnosis? And what is the cause? 

[Ennis-TX]

Vitamin C is needed to absorb iron, I take Ester-C which is supposed to be easier on the stomach. I also use stuff like Growing Naturals pea protein (check iron on it) since I can not eat red meats much. Red meats are suggested as a great way to get iron.

SIBO, you might want to try a keto diet to treat it. With SIBO the bacteria feed on sugars/carbs, going to a keto diet starves them off. You have to stop eating sugar, starches, carbs, fruit, grains, potatoes, dairy, etc. Go to a meat, eggs, leafy green, avocado, and nut butter diet. You can look at Ketosummit for recipes. The keto diet is naturally gluten and grain free, and higher meat intake with it would help you iron. Just remember the vitamin C you will need since your not eating fruits.

[Jherm21]

How long would you say to stay on such a strict diet? I would assume one would become deficient in something on this strict of a diet? 

Thank you for your advice. I’ll actually try that it seems like all the foods you mentioned I should stay away from are the ones that bother me lol. 

[Ennis-TX]

17 hours ago, Jherm21 said:

How long would you say to stay on such a strict diet? I would assume one would become deficient in something on this strict of a diet? 

Thank you for your advice. I’ll actually try that it seems like all the foods you mentioned I should stay away from are the ones that bother me lol. 

Amusingly not many issues with the diet as the Paleo diet it is based on is our natural diet.....Keto is still more natural then the carb diet most live on now days...our ancestors did not have fruit year around, and would not bother with grains in many climates or areas. It was meat, greens, nuts, etc.

Rotate your greens, have small amounts of low sugar squash sometimes, snack on low carb berries sometimes once you get the sibo in check. Supplement vitamin C, AND Electrolytes, with this diet drink TONS of water ever hour or so have a glass.

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[Posterboy]

Jherm21,

You are not taking an acid reducer by chance are you?

PPIs' are especially bad about interfering with our body's ability to naturally absorb nutrients from our food.

I ask this because both Iron and B-12 are tied to low stomach acid.

Here is a couple news article about this topic when this information came out about PPIs especially lowering our B-12 levels.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

They are minor differences in the articles but both are informative.

quoting the fox news article

"The problem is that the body absorbs B12 with the help of stomach acid. Because PPIs and H2RAs limit the stomach's production of acid - and the body needs stomach acid to absorb B12 - the drugs could "theoretically increase the population's risk of vitamin B12 deficiency," the researchers write in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)."

Usually low (hypochlorhydria) stomach acid is not enough to make you IDA by itself.

But the body needs some stomach acid to absorb Iron.

Here is research that confirms this fact entitled "Is achlorhydria a cause of iron deficiency anemia"

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They concluded quoting that achlorhydria (No stomach acid) can be/is an independent cause of Iron Deficient Anemia (IDA).

"The combination of results from these correlational and pathophysiologic studies supports the hypothesis that gastritis-induced achlorhydria can be an independent cause of IDA."

Also have your Vitamin D levels checked there is a strong association between IDA and low Vitamin D levels.

See this livestrong article that summarizes it well.

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Livestrong notes quoting

"Those who were deficient in vitamin D had more than a fivefold increase in the prevalence of anemia compared to those who did not have a vitamin D deficiency."

If you are a more conscious researcher here is the full citation between the assocation of Vitamin D deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia entitled "Vitamin D and Anemia: Insights into an Emerging Association"

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Jherm21 you also should probably should start taking some Beta Carotene.  Eat carrots if you prefer to get nutrients from your food or drink 100% Carrot Juice.

It can help us absorb Iron when our stomach acid is low.

see this research that explains beta carotene's role in Iron absorption entitled

"Beta-carotene and inhibitors of iron absorption modify iron uptake by Caco-2 cells."

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quoting the researchers findings on Beta Carotene and Iron's absorption ability in the body.

"Vitamin A did not significantly increase iron uptake under the experimental conditions employed. However, beta-carotene (6 micromol/L) significantly increased iron uptake compared to no beta-carotene addition (114.9 +/- 6.3 and 47.2 +/- 5.9 pmol/mg cell protein, respectively). Moreover, in the presence of phytates or tannic acid, beta-carotene generally overcame the inhibitory effects of both compounds depending on their concentrations. We conclude that beta-carotene improves iron uptake and overcomes the inhibition by potent inhibitors of iron absorption."

Note this won't work well if you have No stomach acid but if you have some at least it should help improve iron's absorption.

To determine how much stomach acid you can have your/ask your your doctor to do a Bowel Transit Test . . . from that they should be able to tell you the strength of your stomach acid.

Here is a webmd article about the bowel transit test.

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Here also is a good thread on IDA if your want to read more about it on celiac.com

I hope this is helpful but this is not medical advice.

You can think of it like this if it helps you.

Low Stomach Acid leads to low Iron.

And No Stomach Acid means you probably have to have transfusions because your body  can no longer absorb Iron from your food . . .enough to replace the iron it is using.

I had a friend who's Iron level's improved enough that they went from transfusions to no longer needing them after treating their extremely low stomach acid level(s).

And no the doctor's didn't link the two. Note the IDA link to No/Low stomach acid is very new research.

 I wish they  so did she wouldn't have to suffer so long.

I encouraged her to take BetaineHCL and other digestive aids to help her Iron levels.

After a few months on them her Iron levels improved.

You should definitely have your doctor test your stomach acid level to see how low it is in my opinion but this is not medical advice.

I am just trying to share what helped my friends who have IDA before.

2 Tim 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” this included.

Posterboy by the Grace of God,

 

[DianeT]

Do some Internet searches and see what strikes you as true. I know from experience that when I had very bad anemia, inorganic iron in pill form did not really work and was so hard on my intestines. I began eating red meat again and taking Vitamin C with meat meals and the anemia was resolved. I take a minimum of 4000 mg Vitamin C a day, all at once. It seems to have the best overall effect that way. Someone mentioned low stomach acid as a cause for low ferritin levels. Reading showed that ZINC is necessary for the production of stomach acid. Selenium is a frequently overlooked mineral. Symptoms of low ferritin are similar to symptoms with low thyroid, and selenium is important in the treatment of low thyroid. It is just a hunch on my part that selenium may help. "Selenium has also been linked with the reduction of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. If you suffer from anemia, selenium also can play a role in anemia prevention. Individuals with anemia are often low in selenium along with several other trace minerals. Researchers are not sure if low selenium causes anemia or is a side effect of anemia, but research has found that boosting selenium levels can also help reduce anemia. Good luck!

[Ennis-TX]

8 hours ago, DianeT said:

Do some Internet searches and see what strikes you as true. I know from experience that when I had very bad anemia, inorganic iron in pill form did not really work and was so hard on my intestines. I began eating red meat again and taking Vitamin C with meat meals and the anemia was resolved. I take a minimum of 4000 mg Vitamin C a day, all at once. It seems to have the best overall effect that way. Someone mentioned low stomach acid as a cause for low ferritin levels. Reading showed that ZINC is necessary for the production of stomach acid. Selenium is a frequently overlooked mineral. Symptoms of low ferritin are similar to symptoms with low thyroid, and selenium is important in the treatment of low thyroid. It is just a hunch on my part that selenium may help. "Selenium has also been linked with the reduction of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis. If you suffer from anemia, selenium also can play a role in anemia prevention. Individuals with anemia are often low in selenium along with several other trace minerals. Researchers are not sure if low selenium causes anemia or is a side effect of anemia, but research has found that boosting selenium levels can also help reduce anemia. Good luck!

On this note, I do recall something my nutritionist suggested. She said to eat 1-2 brazil nuts a day to make sure I get my selenium.

I also wanted to note on Vitamin C, dose to tolerance...I can not take more then 2000mg a day and sometimes cut down below that. I use Ester C capsules and just dump the powder in a shot of other other meds. Try in 500mg increments, if you get diarrhea back it down 500-1000mg.

Zinc is also great for muscle recovery and your immune system. There is a old method of dosing your Zinc, get zinc lozenges, take and suck on them til they no longer taste like the intended flavor. When they start tasting metallic then you know your have reached what you need. I personally can not do this for other ingredient issues in the lozenges so I just take 50mg twice a day.

Also to note your daily tolerances of vitamins like C, Zinc, and magnesium will always vary by your activity level, your stress, sleep, and if you get sick you will need more. Be prepared to lower doses from your base line or raise them depending on what your body days.