Let’s Talk About Iron

If you’re curious about how iron is important for your overall health and how it functions, you’ve come to the right place.

Iron is an important mineral that functions to maintain healthy blood in your body.

In fact, iron deficiency is the most common global nutritional deficiency, which can cause a wide variety of symptoms.

Iron is needed for healthy brain development and growth.

As well as for producing and maintaining the function of various cells and hormones.

I’m Dr. Shelia Dyer, ND, a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, and among other naturopathic services, I offer anemia naturopathic treatments.

But there’s more to iron than just avoiding anemia.

Let’s take a look at what iron is, its functions, and how being deficient in it can affect you.

What Is Iron?

Iron is a mineral your body needs and uses for growth and development and that aids in maintaining healthy blood.

It’s an essential part of hemoglobin, which is responsible for transferring oxygen from your lungs to other tissues.

It’s also a part of myoglobin, which supports muscle metabolism and healthy muscle tissues.

Iron is important for your physical growth, neurological development, and cell function.

What Exactly Does Iron Do?

As mentioned above, your body uses iron to make hemoglobin and myoglobin.

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that distributes oxygen throughout your body.

Not having enough iron can lead to anemia, which is due to a lack of red blood cells spreading oxygen around your body.

Myoglobin is a protein that distributes and stores oxygen in muscle tissue.

Your body stores iron as ferritin in various organs and tissues.

It then spreads throughout your body by transferrin, which is a protein found in your blood that binds to iron.

What Are The Main Sources of Iron?

There are two different types of iron that naturally occur in food sources; heme iron and non heme iron.

The type of iron affects how our body absorbs and processes the mineral.

Heme iron comes entirely from animal proteins such as meat, poultry, and seafood.

Your body has an easier time absorbing it, and tends to be more abundant.

On the other hand, non heme iron comes from plant based foods such as fortified grains, nuts, soy products, seeds, legumes, beans, and vegetables.

However, you can get non heme iron from some animal products as well, like eggs and dairy products.

If you’re a vegetarian, it’s important to keep tabs on your iron intake, since it’s easier to become deficient.

What Does Iron Deficiency Look Like?

Iron deficiency happens in stages and tends to start with a drop in the amount of iron you have stored.

This can lead to anemia, a condition where there is a depletion of red blood cells carrying oxygen around your body.

Since your cells are being deprived of oxygen, you tend to feel fatigued as well as have sensations of being cold.

A while back, we looked at 7 nutrient deficiencies that can cause chronic fatigue – iron is one of them.

Otherwise, signs of iron deficiency anemia include:

• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion, lack of focus
• Hair loss (naturopathic solutions can help)
• Brittle nails

Depending on the severity, taking iron supplements or increasing your dietary iron intake can help manage and reduce symptoms.

Why Is Iron Deficiency So Common?

There are several different factors that can put you at risk of iron deficiency.

In children, newborns can be born with a low red blood cell count, and in extreme cases may need a blood transfusion.

When they get older, they have a harder time absorbing iron from whole foods when they wean off of breast milk or formula.

Children also need a lot of iron to support their growth.

What about adults?

If you’re pregnant, your body is working overtime to provide nutrients to your growing baby.

This can trigger iron deficiency.

If you have a heavier menstrual cycle it can cause iron deficiency as well.

RELATED: Naturopathic Solutions For Painful Periods

Seniors may also be deficient from iron poor diets or other chronic conditions.

Developing iron deficiency can further cause other health issues or increase the risk of developing further complications.

But iron is finicky.

Some things can block its absorption, like calcium, polyphenols, and a protein called phosvitin common in egg yolks.

This is one of the reasons why most multivitamins don’t have iron in them.

On the other hand, vitamin A and vitamin C can increase your body’s ability to absorb iron.

How Is Low Iron Diagnosed?

If you suspect you have low iron, I usually start with a blood test.

We’ll take a look at the volume and size of your red blood cells, as well as your hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin levels.

If you’re deficient in iron, all of the above will be lower than usual.

What Is Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Anemia is when you don’t have enough red blood cells to carry the oxygen you breathe throughout your body.

Iron deficiency is the most common cause of it, but it’s not the only one.

Let’s take a look at some of the other causes of anemia below.

Anemia Of Inflammation

If you have a chronic illness that causes inflammation, it can cause issues with red blood cell creation.

These illnesses may include:

• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Stomach ulcers
• Kidney disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Certain types of cancer
• HIV/AIDS

Vitamin Deficiency Anemia

Iron is an important ingredient in producing red blood cells, but so are the B complex vitamins.

In particular, vitamin B12 and folate (vitamin B9) are important parts of this process.

If you’re deficient in these two, it can trigger anemia.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cells are caused by a congenital condition where your red blood cells are crescent shaped instead of their usual round, vaguely donut shape.

This causes them to die much more quickly than usual, which can cause anemia.

Other Types Of Anemia

There are a number of other causes of anemia as well, including:

• Aplastic anemia
• Bone marrow disease anemia
• Hemolytic anemia

If you have anemia symptoms, I’ll take the time to make sure we’re addressing the root cause of it.

Can You Take Too Much Iron?

Your body regulates the amount of iron it absorbs.

If you’ve stored enough, it won’t absorb what you eat.

However, you can develop iron toxicity by taking high dosage supplements.

Symptoms include:

• Upset stomach
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Taking large amounts of iron can further lead to more serious conditions such as ulcers or stomach inflammation.

While extreme overdose on iron tablets is rare, it can be fatal, and usually occurs because young children eat a large amount without knowing better.

You’re also at risk if you have a genetic condition, like hemochromatosis, that allows your body to store too much iron.

Letting iron build up can cause an increased risk of developing conditions like heart disease, liver cancer, or liver cirrhosis.

Book Your Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, Today

If you’ve been having symptoms of fatigue that anemia often causes, I’m here to help.

We can work together to adjust your diet so that you get the iron your body needs to have you feeling your best again.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with anemia, are feeling symptoms, or are concerned about a lack of iron, there is help available.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, today.