Written by Most of you have gotten your iron status tested when you go for blood work. It’s cheap, and it tells a big story about what’s going on in your body. You already know that you don’t want to be low (some of you already understand what it means to be anemic), but why is it important and how can we improve it?
Iron is what helps hemoglobin carry oxygen around your body. Want a quick test for iron status: What’s your energy like? Do you lose your breath going up a flight of stairs? Those aren’t perfect, but they’re pretty good indicators of iron status. What if you’re female? Well, chances are if you get your menstrual cycle every month and are not replacing those lost nutrients you could be trending downwards. Okay fine, you have low energy but just think “ah well, I just have a double espresso in the afternoon and I’m fine”. Right, but how long until that band-aid wears off and now you have bigger problems? Because it’s not just about carrying oxygen. Iron is also responsible for:
- Adrenal Function (Try fixing adrenal dysfunction without iron)
- Proper Brain Function (Including the synthesis of Dopamine, Noradrenalin, Adrenaline, & 5-hydroxytryptamine)
- Thyroid Function (Through heme-dependent TPO)
There are way more functions as well, but the Thyroid relationship is interesting because while you need iron in order to have a proper functioning thyroid, you also need a proper function thyroid to absorb iron.
Weird right? So imagine being anemic and having thyroid issues. No bueno. Alright, enough of the bad stuff what you want to know is “What can I do?”. You need two things to optimally absorb iron: HCL and Vitamin C. On top of that, making sure your GI tract is functioning properly will be important as well as iron is absorbed in the small intestine. Here are 4 ways to ensure your iron levels stay normalized and do not effect your thyroid:
- Lower stress: The higher stress levels are, the more you will impede HCL production and therefore your ability to properly breakdown animal protein and liberate iron.
- Take a Multi-Vitamin: Especially if you are a menstruating female, a good quality multivitamin that includes iron will help to curb off what you might not be getting in food.
- Eat Red Meat: If your iron levels are low, increasing red meat consumption will be a great way to bring those levels up, so long as HCL function is adequate.
- Take Vitamin C: As mentioned above, you need vitamin C to help absorb iron as it has a strong affinity to it.
The relationship between nutrients and bodily functions are delicate, but amazing. Your body will always find a way to work, but the idea is that you don’t want to allow it to cut corners. Instead, focus on getting everything you need and you will be rewarded.
James
Sources:
Eftekhari, Mohammad Hassan, et al. “The relationship between iron status and thyroid hormone concentration in iron-deficient adolescent Iranian girls.” Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition 15.1 (2006): 50.
Hare, Dominic J., et al. “A delicate balance: iron metabolism and diseases of the brain.” Frontiers in aging neuroscience 5 (2013): 34.
