Low iron levels? Anaemia? Read on.....

There has always been so much noise around low iron, anaemia, supplementing iron, eating more iron rich foods etc. But are we really low in iron?

Iron is EVERYWHERE. Foods are fortified with iron, iron in cookware, supplements are commonly prescribed.......

How can there be an anaemia 'epidemic'?

What if the iron is stuck in the tissues? Iron can be found 10x more in the tissues, than in the blood serum.

What is the answer? Bioavailable copper.

Bioavailable copper is required to regulate iron. Without it, iron will struggle to move out of the tissues and around the body, and so, blood serum will likely show low iron. If the iron remains stuck in the tissues, it can potentially create oxidative stress which can have many negative effects on health.

We have what is called an iron recycling system (RES) but this can only be utilised if there is enough bioavailable copper in the body. And we also need retinol for copper to work as it should. Retinol is the active form of vitamin A found in animal foods. The iron recycling system transports and changes iron from the ferrous form to the ferric form (safer). Rust in the body is a driver of disease so to prevent this, copper is needed! Copper supports the body to properly use iron.

So, it is iron deficiency?

Or Iron dysregulation?

Great food sources of copper…….

- Grass-fed beef liver

- Shilajit resin

- Oysters

- Lobster

- Mushrooms

- Dark chocolate

- Bee pollen

Great food sources of retinol…….

- Grass-fed full fat dairy

- Eggs from pasture-raised chickens

- Grass-fed beef liver

- Cod liver oil (not fish oil)

(The words contained in this blog are not intended as medical or nutritional advice, and are for educational purposes only).