What do my results for ferritin, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12 suggest please?
Thank you
Ferritin - 73 (15 - 150)
Folate - 2.7 (4.6 - 18.5)
Vitamin B12 - 185 (180 - 900)
Total 25 OH vitamin D - 47.3
(<25 severe vitamin D deficiency
25 - 50 vitamin D deficiency
50 - 75 vitamin D may be suboptimal
> 75 adequate)
Ferritin was sorted with iron tablets until Feb. All tests done in November
ElleK Ferritin - 73 (15 - 150) - This is too low. Ferritin should be half way through it's range so 82.5, often advised for women is 100-130. You might want to resume your supplements if you were taking them or eating liver once a week to raise ferritin and about once a fortnight to maintain level
Folate - 2.7 (4.6 - 18.5) - under range. Should be at least half way through range so 11.5+. Discuss this with your GP as it so far under range.
Vitamin B12 - 185 (180 - 900) - should be at the very top of the range. Discuss this very low result with your GP and ask to be tested for Pernicious Anaemia. You might want to pop over to the Pernicious Anaemia Society forum on Health Unlocked here healthunlocked.com/pasoc for more specific advice.
Total 25 OH vitamin D 47.3 - too low. Recommended level is 100-150nmol/L. You can supplement with D3 5000iu daily for a couple of months then reduce to 5000iu alternate days. My choice is softgels as there tends to be no fillers, just D3 and usually olive oil. Retest in the spring to check levels.
When taking D3 we also need it's important co-factors K2-MK7 and magnesium. Vit D aids absorption of calcium from food and K2 directs the calcium to bones and teeth rather than arteries and soft tissues. Take D3 and K2 with the fattiest meal of the day as they are fat soluble.
Magnesium comes in different forms, see here to see which one would suit you best naturalnews.com/046401_magn... . As magnesium is calming it's best taken in the evening.
Don't start all supplements at the same time. Start with one, give it a week or two and if no adverse reaction then add second one, etc. This way if you have any reaction you will know what caused it.
Thanks doctor is rechecking ferritin, folate, B12, iron panel, electrolytes and cbc. Maybe ask him to add more investigations to this if needed but yes I will go to the PA forum.
How's your gut? Do you have malabsorption due to food allergies, like gluten or dairy or soya? Or an intestinal imbalance, like candida? These could be causing low nutrient levels.
Or, you could potentially have a genetic issue, like an MTHFR or other variant which bottlenecks your ability to process folate. A genetic test, either through a doctor, or through 23andme would telll you. Too little folate can lead to cancer and other serious health problems.
You are also low in B12. You could have pernicious anemia, or you may have one or more genetic variants (SNPs) that affect your B12 processing. Both folate and B12 are used in an essential process called methylation, which regulates hormones, DNA replication, and helps to make glutathione, an important antioxidant your body uses to detoxify. Many doctors are not yet up on these theories, but it is important.
You'll want to begin raising your B12 level first, then raise your folate. Some people do better with certain forms of B12 - methyl or adenosylcobalamin might be a good place to start, and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate is a good form of folate which should work even if you have processing problems. It would also be a good idea to supplement B6, B2, and magnesium, as these work with the folate and B12 in the methylation process.
A Genova Diagnostics NutrEval test might be useful in getting to the bottom of your issues - they have a sample test on their website you could look at to get an idea of what it tests. Some other labs to check are homocysteine, which should ideally be around 6-8, MCV, which should be between 70 and 93. You might also check for heavy metal toxicity - mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, etc.
Your vitamin D level should be around 70-80. Over 100 is a little high, but 47 is a little low.
"Your vitamin D level should be around 70-80. Over 100 is a little high, but 47 is a little low."
If you mean nmol/L units of measurement then the Vit D Council doesn't agree with this, nor does the Grassroots Disease Prevention Chart or Dr Sarah Myhill.
The Vit D Council has information about levels, unfortunately in ng/ml (the US normal unit of measurement) but easy enough to convert into nmol/L (the normal UK unit of measurement) by multiplying by 2.5.
vitamindcouncil.org/about-v...
"The Vitamin D Council suggests that a level of 50 ng/ml is the ideal level to aim for"
Also
vitamindcouncil.org/i-teste...
"My level is between 50-60 ng/ml:
You’re getting the right amount of vitamin D by the standards set by the Vitamin D Council and Endocrine Society. The Institute of Medicine, however, doesn’t feel there is enough evidence to say that having a level higher than 50 ng/ml is of any benefit.
Some vitamin D researchers believe that these levels are the best to aim for, though more research is needed to be sure about this."
50ng/ml = 125nmol/L
Disease prevention chart shows there is an 83% reduction in incidence when the serum level is 50 ng/ml vs the baseline of 25 ng/ml
grassrootshealth.net/media/...
and Dr Sarah Myhill, well respected functional doctor, states
"How much:
For people living in equatorial areas, blood levels of 25 (OH) D) usually exceed 100nmol/l and often 200nmol/l. Since we evolved in hot climates, this is probably what is physiologically desirable. However, normal ranges in laboratories are still stated at around 40 to 100nmol/l. This almost certainly represents sub-optimal levels - it may be enough to prevent rickets and osteomalacia, but is not sufficient for optimal health."
Seaside Susie,
Thanks for sharing such good info on vitamin D and pointing out the units of measurement.
I was recommending 70-80 ng/ml, which are the US units, which would be 175-200 in UK units.
Ferritin, folate, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc
