The Ayurvedic Treatment & Understanding for Iron Deficiency Iron is a mineral that serves several important biological functions, its main one being to carry oxygen throughout your body via your red blood cells (1).  Iron deficiency or low iron has become the biggest mineral deficiency in the world. (3) About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men do not have enough iron in their bodies. (2)  Table of Contents Understanding a Full Blood Evaluation (FBE): What is Haemoglobin, Red Blood Cells, Transferrin, Saturation & Ferritin? Serum IronThe amount of iron in your blood. Serum Ferritin / Ferritin Your iron stores. The protein that stores iron and releases it into the bloodstream as the body requires.   Ferritin is only 30% of the iron stores, which is mostly in the liver but also in the bone marrow and spleen.(17) 65% of the iron stores are in the red blood cells (RBCs), and for that, we need to look a haemoglobin.   Note*: most standard doctors and health practitioners will solely look at ferritin without considering the other blood markers, which perhaps are more important than ferritin. Haemoglobin The body transports oxygen to cells via a protein called haemoglobin, which is mostly iron.Low iron levels mean you’re unable to deliver oxygen or energy to the cells of your body. This is called anaemia, which means “without oxygen.”Haemoglobin shows the quality of the blood, and perhaps the most important factor of a FBE. Iron transferrin saturation The delivery of iron to your tissues. Shows adequate entry of iron into the circulation. If it is too high, (from over supplementation for example), the iron gets trapped, ironically.Hepcidin: a hormone that regulates how your body uses iron, increases. This blocks iron entry into the circulation as a protective mechanism to not experience iron overload. Transferrin & Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)These tests measure the amount of iron capable of being transported in the blood. It shows how much transferrin (a protein) is free to carry iron through your blood. If your levels are high, it means more transferrin is free because you have low iron. When iron stores are too much high, transferrin levels decrease.  Total iron binding capacity (TIBC) is an older test that is sometimes still performed by some labs.   Blood Testing for Iron – The Truely Ideal Functional Levels of Iron & Ferritin Remember, “normal” in standard blood tests is based on the “norm” or average of an unhealthy population.  Furthermore, conventional testing does not differentiate between pregnant women and non-pregnant people for ferritin! Which is ridiculous because pregnant women have a much higher dilution ratio as they have a lot more fluids during pregnancy, therefore don’t require as high levels as non-pregnant people. Ferritin: Average normal ferritin levels range from 12 – 300 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/mL) for males 12 to 150 ng/mL for females. (8) Most functional medical experts agree, the ideal ferritin levels are: 30 – 60 ng/mL (9) for non-pregnant people. 15-40 ng/mL in pregnancy trimester 2-3. Above 80-100ng/ml is dangerous (see high iron and hemochromatosis below), and below 20 is too low for non-pregnant women. Transferrin: 3-4 g/L (functional range). Iron Transferrin Saturation: 20-30% (functional range) Haemoglobin: Trimester 2 of pregnancy: over 105 Trimester 3 of pregnancy: over 100 Also consider co-factors of iron like copper (important for the iron transport into the cells) and magnesium.  Remember, don’t be totally bound, attached and governed by blood work results. Blood tests are only one part of the diagnosis process. There are other areas of health to be assessed by a quality health practitioner. Book a private health consultation with our team from Vital Veda. Symptoms of Low Iron Symptoms of anaemia include: Tiredness / fatigue – (don’t accept being tired and anxious) Weakness Low exercise tolerance or function Breathlessness Dizziness Low immunity Headaches Stomach pain Pale skin (in Ayurveda, the name for anemia is “Pāṇḍu” पाण्डु  which means “pale white”) Joint pain Cognitive decline Mood instability Anxiety Fast heart rate. (5, 6) Note, often these symptoms occur even when iron levels are still in the “normal range” of a blood test.   Low Ferritin & Iron Levels are associated with: (7) Thyroid conditions – You need iron to make T4. Low iron can leade to hypo or sluggish thyroid. For more information: Vital Veda Podcast #040 “Healing the Thyroid with Ayurveda” with Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes – for more information: Vital Veda Podcast #026 “Understanding Diabetes & Blood Sugar, Self-Management, Nutritional Flexibility & Chronic Disease Blessings” with Drew Harrisberg Stroke Fatty liver Cholesterol imbalances – for more information: Vital Veda Podcast #052 “The Great Cholesterol Myth | Dietary Fat Overview” with Dr. Jonny Bowden Obesity High blood pressure Heart conditions.   Root Causes of Low Iron Blood loss from heavy periods (menorrhagia) & hormonal imbalance This is the most common cause. The functional medical ranges for healthy menstrual blood loss is 40-80mg per month. That is about 5-6 heavy pads per cycle. Hormonal imbalance is caused by: Plastics – eating from and storing foods and drinks in plastic Emotional and mental imbalances Poor quality meat Dryness in the body more factors… Hormonal imbalance creates thick, uterine lining, which creates heavier period. High oestrogen can also cause heavy periods. This blood loss is driving the low iron. Don’t treat the heavy blood loss with the Mirena IUD or contraceptive pill. Understand the root cause. Those who are taking these band-aid approaches, don’t feel judged, but ask yourself: have you tried other options / treatments? Type of Meat you Consume Poor quality meat, which is majority of meat on the market can disrupt hormones and quality of blood. Digestive Disorders Including gut, microbial imbalances, food intolerances (which usually stem from poor digestion) and parasites.   The Relationship Between Vitamin C and Iron Vitamin C boosts the absorption of iron, so low Vitamin C levels may be a causative factor of low iron and ferritin levels. (10,11,12) Fruit, veggies and herbs to boost Vitamin C levels: Amalaki (Indian Gooseberry) –  learn all about this powerful medicinal fruit: “Amalaki (Embilica Officinalis): Uses & Benefits”   Anand Sid Yog (Nutritious Immune