Iron experiments results

[Greenwall]

Hi. Last year I had ferritin level 11 (12 - 250).

I then took the prescribed iron meds from GP, but with side effects I gave up on that after 8 days (and it that took my guts many weeks to recover from !) However levels went to 27 (12 - 250).

The following 6 months I changed diet to ensure optimum up take of iron (ie avoided calcium in same meal as iron, and had high dose vit c with it). Plus spatone 20 mg (ie 4 sachets) per day. Next result was 28 (12 - 250).

The last 6 months I've relied on diet alone. Result 128 (13 - 150).

Has any one else had similar results?

[helvella]

Humans have (at least) three different absorption pathways on our guts.

One picks up "mineral" iron such as ferrous sulphate and most iron supplements.

A second picks up haem.

And a third picks up ferritin.

It seems entirely feasible to me that if your diet included significant haem and/or ferritin sources, it might absorb fine, possibly better than mineral sources.

Am glad to see your improved iron status.

[Greenwall in reply to helvella]

Hi Helvella. Thanks for replying. By haem, do you mean animal? I think I read somewhere that body absorbs better with haem than non haem, or was it heme?

I thought ferritin was iron, or am I just confused?

I'm sure I read too that the body doesn't really absorb artificial food, ie as in supplements. I'm so taken by the huge difference in numbers, that I've emailed BHM to get them to check it isn't a typo....

I feel fab though.

[helvella in reply to Greenwall]

haem = heme (depends which side of the Atlantic!)

Yes - haem and ferritin supplements are both animal based. I have posted many times about haem and ferritin supplements (or, of course, animal products high in iron such as liver and black pudding).

Because there are three pathways, it is at least theoretically possible to absorb by each pathway at he same time. As each pathway has a limited capacity for absorption, just increasing doses doesn't work once the affected pathway is saturated. But taking two or three different types could increase maximum possible absorption.

[Greenwall]

Oh. I see. I've just had a language lesson Thanks helvella. I must have read an American article about heme, but I was using the principles of that to try and increase iron intake.

BHM have confirm there's no typo, but say sudden increase could be associated with inflammation. I'm not aware of any, so may have to run it by GP.

[Mstiles]

What is spatone? I’m in America so may be a language difference? I need to raise my ferratin also.

Thank you

[Mstiles]

Can you tell me what is spatone?

[humanbean in reply to Mstiles]

It's water with lots of iron in it that comes out of a spring like that. Tastes unpleasant (in my opinion), costs a lot, and for a lot of people has no impact on iron levels. But some people do have some success with it apparently.

[Mstiles in reply to humanbean]

Thanks human bean. It sounded like it might be easier to tolerate

[humanbean in reply to Mstiles]

Spatone is a brand name. The water itself comes from a spring in North Wales :

nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-...

I don't know if it is sold anywhere outside the UK.