How is your energy level today?
Did you know that 1 out of 6 Americans has fatigue, often from an undiagnosed or poorly treated iron deficiency?
Low iron = pretty much LOW or NO energy!
The Iron-Energy Connection
Iron helps keep us human. With energy to live our lives. With oomph for our tissues.
Think of iron as your body’s “Energy Uber” – it carries oxygen to every cell in your body. Without enough iron, you are suffocating at the cellular level.
A new study in JAMA Network Open reveals that 26% of U.S. adults have iron deficiency, even without anemia. That’s 1 in 4 adults shuffling around exhausted!
Two Types of Iron Deficiency Most Doctors Miss:
- Absolute deficiency: Low iron stores (ferritin <30 ng/mL) – affects 11% of adults
- Functional deficiency: Adequate stores of iron but poor utilization – affects 15% of adults
Why Standard Iron Treatment Often Fails
Most doctors prescribe iron sulfate, which is poorly absorbed and harsh on the gut. This causes pain, gas, and ironically, more iron loss through bleeding.
Iron bisglycinate is a better option. It is gentler, better absorbed, and equally effective at half the dose.
The Hidden Culprit: Your Stomach Acid
Here’s what most practitioners miss: You need stomach acid to absorb iron. The cells that make stomach acid (parietal cells) are energy hogs – they’re 50% mitochondria!
Common stomach acid killers:
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
- pylori infections
- Chronic stress
- Autoimmune gastritis
This creates a vicious cycle: Low iron → low energy → poor stomach acid production → worse iron absorption → lower iron.
Smart Iron Supplementation:
- Take iron with food and vitamin C
- Use gentle forms (iron bisglycinate or liquid iron).
- Avoid the gut-irritating sulfate forms.
- Address underlying absorption issues
REMEMBER: Iron requires Goldilocks’ “just right” amounts. Too much iron is toxic – test, don’t guess!
Bottom Line
If you’re constantly exhausted despite “normal” labs, you may have functional iron deficiency or absorption issues.
Test for this so that you achieve and maintain healthy, healing iron levels!
Without optimal iron levels, healing from any condition becomes an uphill battle and makes it virtually impossible to enjoy, “the best performance of your life!”
God bless,
Dr. B.
