So what causes low iron? well, Many of my patients have been diagnosed with low iron at some point in their history. And many times, taking supplemental iron has not improved their iron status – or their iron numbers dropped again very soon after stopping the iron supplements. Sound familiar?
Having adequate iron levels is critical for our overall health and well-being – iron helps oxygenate and energize nearly every system in our body. So why are we unable to hold on to our iron? What is really going on? what causes low iron??
One of my Pet Peeves
Iron supplements are often given out like candy. As soon as a clinician sees low ferritin levels on blood work, they immediately suspect that the patient needs iron supplements. Often this is done without further investigation – such as, why are iron levels low in the first place? Many times it is assumed that low iron is due to heavy menstrual bleeding – but this is not always the case.
What causes low iron?
- Iron is like chocolate for bacteria. It is their food and they love it. If you are continually taking iron supplements, you could be feeding a bacterial infection in your body and making it worse.
- The body is very intelligent and it will do things on purpose to help maintain homeostasis in the body. And if you have low iron levels, the body is likely keeping your iron levels low because it does not want to continually feed a bacterial infection in your gut (or other part of your body).
- When you have low copper levels, iron cannot be absorbed. A simple blood test can determine if this is the reason why your iron levels never seem to be maintained.
- Cellular toxicity occurs with the absorption of excessive quantities of ingested iron. Overdoses can impair oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial dysfunction, which can result in cellular death. It is not safe to continually take iron supplements.
Part of my approach to healing acne is to continually ask ‘why’. Why is acne happening in the first place? Why are hormones imbalanced? Why are iron levels low? By asking these questions, we address the root cause of acne (and other health conditions) and balance the body for good.
Often healing acne for good involves taking a look at all the different systems in the body properly, and asking the question ‘why’ as much as needed.
If you want to learn more about how to heal your acne from the inside out, be sure to click the link below and check out my Clear Skin Masterclass. If you want somebody to take a look at your blood work and help you understand what is really going on and really causing your acne, sign up for the waiting list for my One-on-One Coaching Program. I can take a look at your labs. We can run some labs, break it all down and figure out what’s really going on.
