Iron Metabolism
Are you feeling like you may be experiencing symptoms of low iron?
Fatigue, shortness of breath, poor sleep, reoccurring infections, low energy, brain fog the list of symptoms goes on. When we are low in iron it can present with a host of symptoms that we often just learn to live with as being normal.
What are the important roles of iron in the body?
Iron is an important dietary mineral which carries oxygen around the body. Iron is stored in haemoglobin (Hb) which is found in red blood cells. Iron is crucial to biologic functions, including respiration, energy production, DNA synthesis, and cell proliferation. The human body has evolved to conserve iron in several ways, including the recycling of iron after the breakdown of red blood cells every 120 days and the retention of iron in the absence of an excretion mechanism.
What is Hepcidin?
The handbrake of iron absorption- Hepcidin (a peptide hormone) tightly regulates iron absorption by Hepcidin expression which increases in response to high circulating iron and tissue levels of iron and in persons with systemic inflammation or infection. However, since excess levels of iron can be toxic, its absorption is limited to 1 to 2 mg daily, and most of the iron needed daily (about 25 mg per day) is provided through recycling of old red blood cells. Hepcidin, maintains total-body iron within normal ranges, avoiding both iron deficiency and excess to minimise, damage to our cells from toxicity and oxidative stress.
Types of low iron?
You may have heard the terms anaemia and being told by your GP you have low iron but what does this indicate what is happening in the body? Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by lack of haemoglobin (a protein found in red blood cells) in your blood. If your haemoglobin levels are low, it would indicate anaemia, a condition in which your body is not getting enough oxygen to the cells, causing muscle pain, fatigue & weakness which in your pathology testing would show haemoglobin at sub optimal levels below the reference range. Iron deficiency with anaemia is caused by both a lack of sufficient iron levels AND a lack of haemoglobin.
Causes of low iron
The causes underlying iron deficiency anaemia are diverse which include inadequate oral iron intake, resulting from low red meat/ animal protein consumption which is 10 times more easily absorbed than non-haem iron. The other form of iron is non haem sources from foods such as lentils, some nuts and leafy greens however these are harder to absorb, need to be eaten in larger quantities and lower in haem levels of iron. Other factors inhibiting iron absorption to consider are excessive milk/dairy intake, tea and coffee, vegetarian or vegan diets, poor absorption due to impaired gut lining (Leaky Gut), GIT bleeding seen in irritable bowel disease, and poor absorption seen in coeliac disease.
Prescribing of Supplements
We are often suggested a supplement nutraceutical to support iron, and there are some great products with high absorbable forms of iron that are gentle on the stomach.
Biomedica- Bioheme
Metagenics- Hemagenics has a vegan option
Iron biotic
What helps iron absorption?
I have listed below alongside a probiotic. Research has identified lactobacillus plantarum species as seen in the supplement Biome Activated Probiotics IRON which studies have shown to be highly effective in increasing absorption of iron in adults that are low in iron. Lactoferrin is a Lactoferrin, as the name suggests (lacto + ferrin = milk + iron), is iron binding milk protein, which helps to balance iron levels in the body.
Lactoferrin- 200mg– 1.6g and
GOS rich foods (certain prebiotic foods) include prebiotics esp. GOS minimum of 7.5g.
Mixed Tocotrienols (equiv. to 12mg) & Carotenoids (equiv to 365mg)
Lactoferrin Enhanced Medlab
Lactoferrin Bioceuticals
