Blood results, b12, foliate, ferritin

[dawnydawn1]

Good morning

My gp said my bloods were all within normal range but doing a bit of research on here I think my b 12, folate and ferritin levels are on the low side.

Should I address this?

Ferritin 46 uI/I (20-275)

Foliate 11.2 ug/L (2.7-34.0)

B12 346 ng/I (180-914)

Vit D 138 nmo/L (50-150)

My main concern is alopecia areata

I feel quite healthy other than this.

Many thanks

[bluebug]

Please can you edit your post and put the ranges in brackets next to each result. i can only guess your ferritin result but not the rest due to having no range.

Also do you have a vitamin D result? If not you should get your vitamin D tested as well as that can effect hair loss.

[dawnydawn1 in reply to bluebug]

Vit D was 138 nmol/l

[bluebug]

Your ferritin is too low. it should be at least 70 for good hair growth. You want to take one ferrous fumerate 4 hours away from thyroid hormones and 2 hours away from other food, drink and supplements to avoid interactions. Take it with vitamin C and water.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

dawnydawn1 Bluebug has mentioned what to do to raise ferritin. Recommended level is half way through range. You can also eat liver once a week which will help raise the level.

B12 at 346 is low. Anything under 500 can cause neurological problems and the recommended level is very top of range, even 900-1000. You can buy some Solgar sublingual methylcobalamin lozenges 5000mcg, finish the bottle (60 lozenges) then buy some 1000mcg and take one daily as a maintenance dose.

Folate should be at least half way through it's range so at least 19. It works together with B12. When taking B12 we also need to take a B Complex to balance the B vits. If you buy one which has 400mcg methylfolate this will raise your folate level. Thorne Basic B is a good one.

Low levels of zinc can also be a cause of hair loss.

[dawnydawn1]

I am currently taking lambert mega mineral complex

I will try to find a natural b12 and b complex to take.

[bluebug in reply to dawnydawn1]

Your mega mineral complex contains minerals that interact with each other in it.

For example iron definitely interacts with calcium and frequently interacts with zinc so you don't want to take them together as you won't get enough iron. Therefore you want a separate iron supplement or eat food. However you can take magnesium and zinc together if you required.

In regards to the B vitamins - you want a separate vitamin B12 supplement as well. As a combined one won't have a enough to raise your B12 level initially. Only when you have finished that may the complex provide you with enough B12.

Also make sure you don't drink tea or coffee within 2 hours of your meals as the tannins in them inhibit nutrient absorption.