How To Increase Ferritin Levels | Maximize Iron Uptake

How can we maximize iron uptake and most efficiently increase our ferritin levels?
This is what any iron deficient persons wants. To get back your energy and life back. When a person is experiencing the fatigue, hair loss, anxiety, depression, weakness a
How can we maximize iron uptake and most efficiently increase our ferritin levels?

This is what any iron deficient persons wants. To get back your energy and life back. When you're experiencing fatigue, hair loss, anxiety, depression, weakness associated with low iron, often we want to take mega doses of iron thinking this will expedite the process of getting your life back.

Taking more and more iron, I can assure you is not the answer. In fact, it is counter productive.

It is stressful on the bodies antioxidant defenses, on your digestive tract, and your microbiome. With ever increasing doses of iron, the proportion of iron absorbed, called fractional iron absorption decreases. So where does all that extra iron end up? Well, it ends up irritating the digestive lining, increasing free radical production and peroxidation (which is the process that results in cell membrane damage) in the mucosa of the GI tract.

Hepcidin is a signaling protein that is regulated by four main things.

The amount of iron consumed, low oxygen, inflammation and erythropoiesis.

Erythropoiesis is the process of red blood cell production. If the body needs more red blood cells and is in oxygen debt then hepcidin will be low because the body knows it needs iron for this process.

If the body is inflamed, hepcidin will be elevated, this inflammation could be chronic or acute like an infection. So, if we are having trouble getting our iron stores up we want to look at are life, food, physical activity, sleep, stress and ask how we can support decrease inflammation both physically and emotionally so that hepcidin levels won’t be unnecessarily high and hindering iron absorption.

Throughout an otherwise health persons day there will be a natural increase in hepcidin levels. Just like other hormones in our body, hepcidin also has consistent circadian rhythm. However, when we consume iron we override the standard increase in hepcidin. When we take an iron supplement in the morning we get a significant increase in hepcidin levels starting after the iron dose and continuing to remain high for 24 hours.

This why it is not advisable to consume iron supplements multiple times per day, as the second dose iron uptake will be significantly blunted compared to the first dose.

Five things to consider if you are having an especially difficult time getting your iron levels up:

1) Be sure to keep your daily dose less than 60mg element iron per day
2) Take your iron away from coffee, dairy, black tea
3) Consider an every 48 hours iron dosing strategy instead of daily.
4) Consume elemental iron in a form that is hyper-digestible, such as a hydrolyzed whole protein chelate instead of amino acid chelates or ferrous sulfate.
5) Consume iron in the morning, without food or with probiotics or a small amount of fermented foods.

#DrWholeness #OptimizeIron #HowToIncreaseFerritinLevels

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00:00 Mega doses of iron
01:31 Side effects of excess iron
02:52 Unabsorbed iron in the gut
03:51 Stop gaps to prevent iron overload
06:04 How to decrease inflammation
07:36 Iron intake and hepcidin
08:18 Avoid multiple doses of iron daily
09:38 Take less than 60mg of elemental iron
11:38 5 recommendations for iron supplementation

*The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in the video are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

[DrWholeness]

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[growingnest]

I can confirm he knows what hes talking about when he mentions that you have to take iron every other day. Before watching his video i was doung research on iron and saw some studies that mentioned taking it evrry other day. I had my blood tested and my iron level was at 17. I've been so tired for over two years, have muscle aches and fatigue thinking my school aged child is bringing in illness and im catching them. Id walk up the stairs and feel tired and fatigue. One day enough was enough and i called my doctor and now im on my iron journey. ❤ you deserve to live life with energy and not feel tired and sore and fatigued all the time. To think I let years go by before taking action 😔. Mamas dont put yourself last.

[clarabartha]

Finally some real advice, not just 150 mg to 300 mg a day, and come back in 3 months and we'll test again. Meanwhile my ferritin keeps getting lower to what a month ago was 4 mg. Since then I've had two episodes lasting days where I was almost going to take myself to the hospital because I was so weak, fatigued, anxious, confused and unwell.

[hovant]

For personal reasons I've been a very regular blood donor, never missing a single donation for close to a decade. Phlebotomists always recommended against taking iron, so I never did. My whole adult life has been depression, anxiety, and fatigue - I never understood where other people were getting all their energy from. In an unrelated surprise allergy discovery, I had a blood test and my ferritin levels are 4; not 40, not 14, not 400; 4. Needless to say I'll be taking a break from donating, supplementing my iron, and it's nice to finally know what I can do to improve things

[betsyward]

Finally, someone explained ferritin vs regular iron pills. Thanks so much. MY iron levels looked good, but my ferritin was at a 9. My doctor never told me what to do except go see a hematologist. I found your video. I'll try this first.

[lsat]

Thank you for these videos 🙏 they’re very helpful. I have ferritin of 18, no one seems to think this is a problem but I’m determined to see whether I can bring those levels up to improve my quality of life 🙏

[bobGmitter]

I over did Zinc suppements while avoiding copper due to all the buzz about copper toxicity. It screwed up my ferritin. Combining 2mg copper with 20mg of Heme iron and whole vitamin C really helped.

[nadia]

Hi, I’m 19 from Poland! I have very low ferritin level - feeling tired, weak and anxious all the time. I’m going to take your advice seriously and I hope the level will be higher in my next blood tests. I really need to feel alive again because I have my final exams next month and a veeery long summertime vacations ahead. Thank you!

[bobGmitter]

He is so right. I use the Three Arrows Heme iron and they say to bas e it on your body weight. I weigh 240lbs so i was taking 80-100mg per day and I felt even worse. Went down to 20mg with 2mg copper first thing in the morning and feel so much better after 3 week. My ferritin was 25 ug/ml.

[dlovely]

My hair has been thining so I saw a dermatologist and he ordered a lab to find out what was going on internally. To my shock, my ferritin was at a 4 and my hemoglobin was a 29%L. So, my doctor referred me to a hematologist.

I've been suffering with anxiety, chronic fatigue and bad headaches. I am on a mission to get my ferritin and Hb back to normal levels. Thanks for video.

[self-sufficientme]

This has helped, I have GPA vasculitis and I'm always deficient in iron. I noticed the more I supplement, the worse I get. So I decided less is more without even knowing the information you shared in this vid... Thanks for the conformation.

[billytheweasel]

This is so good. Multiple Dr's didn't know about ferritin or why I asked to have it tested. Mine was low - I'm a male and other blood markers normal.
I stated reducing all iron sources many years ago after learning it was oxidative.

[boop]

Hi just wanted to stop by and say your videos about iron infusions were so helpful. Definetly changed my mind after I had bad reactions on Venofer. Appreciate the videos ❤

[DP-wkqs]

Recently found out my ferritin is at 23, I used to have such thick hair years ago, but over the years progressively it got less and less. My skin is pale and dry, my mood not so good. Thank you for your videos on iron, I've started taking chelated one, will redo test next month

[stephanielenz]

I wish you were my doctor!! I've been dealing with anemia for several years. I've had multiple blood transfusions and iron infusions. I'll feel better for a few weeks then it starts all over again . I'm just tired of feeling crappy all the time.

[kitoomehta]

Dr. Angrove ; I just stumbled upon your video I have been iron deficient from a very long time and none of my dr’s ever brought it up, during my triple by pass a little over 4 years ago I was at a level where I needed a transfusion however none was given, I work out a lot and almost 4 hours a day last year and early part of this year doing HIIT battle ropes, strength training as well as rowing machine and other stuff, the demands I put on my body were far overreaching for my body and I don’t think I was consuming enough even though it said Blood Builder absorption rate was perhaps 10 % then I had an iron study done and that’s where it was reveled my less than normal levels in every category. I started taking Heme Iron supplement 40 mg in the early morning along with Vit C and B12 as well as 40 mg on an empty stomach later in the evening my from the last several months, I have cut down my workouts to around 1.5 hrs a day and I am noticing that my anxiety levels as well as a energy is coming back and my iron levels are in the mid range now. I am a vegetarian as well . Thx for the info.

[Juliopaints]

Over donating blood caused mine. Ferritin was at 14. Started on blood builder by meggafoods and 3 oz of beef liver few nights a week got it up to 58 within one month. Then unknowingly I started eating a few cups of oatmeal a day went to check my ferritin again a month later and it went back down to 32 I was going crazy like how can it be going down. Then I found out that the phytates in oats block absorption and even lower the levels that you already have. Now I'm up to 120 and feel great. Energy and libido sky rocketed

[RobinSampsonMcCarthy]

Why is my H&H normal and Ferritin falls below 10? I can feel it. I get short of breath, crave ice, have restless legs, dizziness, and tachycardia. Scary with heart disease. Drs do not listen. They see normal H&H and ignore you.

[DalindaPerez-ffbl]

I just bought your pills!! I am excited to see change! My Dr says my labs are fine 😑. My ferritin is 16, and my iron saturation is low but all other iron, rbc, hemoglobin levels are normal. I have fatigue, anxiety throughout the night, exercise intolerance, sob with exertion, brain fog, cold feet, light headed and feel like fainting very often. I’ve had this on and of led my whole life but just recently found out my ferritin level of 16, never had it tested before. I am so hopeful to see change 😍

[NymfyASMR]

I had (still have) chronic hair loss for about a year, and just got my test results back with ferritin levels of 24🥴 my hb is great. You mentioned that the highly digestible form of iron is known as chelated iron supplements, right? Just so I can do some research / see what my pharmacy has / talk to my doctor. This was extremely helpful and informative!! Thank you for making this video Dr. Angove 🌟 your ferritin levels and hair-loss video too, gave me hope 😂😭 I think without knowing it, I’ve been iron deficient for years and years. No wonder I’m so tired and anxious all the time