Caution with Iron Supplementation

Anemia is pretty straightforward, right? I mean, you need iron to transport oxygen throughout your body. That means if your iron is low, you better supplement, right?

Well today I discuss why supplementation may be actually making your symptoms worse, and how to know if you need to add more iron in, or address some other reasons why your iron may be low.

The goal? Help you understand your symptoms, help you be in control of them for good, and finally make you a master of your own health.

Do NOT put your health into the hands of your health care provider. Understand your symptoms and become a master of taking charge of your health for good!! Remember, no one knows YOU better than YOU!!

In health and wellness,

Karin Nicole Allumbaugh

Check my facts!!

Here are the sources for today's discussion:

Drakesmith, H., Prentice, A. Viral infection and iron metabolism. Nat Rev Microbiol 6, 541–552 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro1930

Fida A. Khan, Melanie A. Fisher, Rashida A. Khakoo, Association of hemochromatosis with infectious diseases: expanding spectrum, International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 11, Issue 6, 2007, Pages 482-487, ISSN 1201-9712, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2007.04.007.

Khan A, Khan WM, Ayub M, Humayun M, Haroon M. Ferritin Is a Marker of Inflammation rather than Iron Deficiency in Overweight and Obese People. J Obes. 2016;2016:1937320. doi: 10.1155/2016/1937320. Epub 2016 Dec 27. PMID: 28116148; PMCID: PMC5223018.

Kell DB, Pretorius E. No effects without causes: the Iron Dysregulation and Dormant Microbes hypothesis for chronic, inflammatory diseases. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2018 Aug;93(3):1518-1557. doi: 10.1111/brv.12407. Epub 2018 Mar 25. PMID: 29575574; PMCID: PMC6055827.

Dignass A, Farrag K, Stein J. Limitations of Serum Ferritin in Diagnosing Iron Deficiency in Inflammatory Conditions. Int J Chronic Dis. 2018 Mar 18;2018:9394060. doi: 10.1155/2018/9394060. PMID: 29744352; PMCID: PMC5878890.

Firkin F, Rush B. Interpretation of biochemical tests for iron deficiency: diagnostic difficulties related to limitations of individual tests. Aust Prescr 1997;20:74-6.

https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.1997.063