ferritin

[CAB123x]

hi all, any advice on increasing ferritin levels without iron supplements x

[helvella Administrator]

Well, you can increase your iron intake by eating foods which are high in iron, such as most meats.

But you need to get iron from somewhere.

helvella - Iron Document

This is a summary of what I have read up and found out about iron supplements over the past few years. I am not in any way medically trained. You are strongly encouraged to check every detail before making any decisions for yourself.

Last updated 24/10/2024

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[tattybogle in reply to helvella]

Think you forgot to put the link in helvella x

[CAB123x in reply to helvella]

do you know where I can get the heme iron in the uk? X

[helvella Administrator in reply to CAB123x]

Sorry - I don't.

And be very careful. Check the entire description of any product you lok at. They are past masters of deceptive wording - making us think the product is what we were looking for.

[CAB123x in reply to helvella]

Thank you

What other supplements would you recommend?

Currently take selenium (1 x daily 200ug) and ferrous fumarate (1 x daily 210mg)

[helvella Administrator in reply to CAB123x]

It is likely fine to take that amount of selenium for a while, but it is likely too much to take indefinitely. And too much selenium is not good.

If you find a haem/heme supplement, you can likely abandon the ferrous fumarate.

I'd want to be sure you have adequate folate and B12. But you really need to be tested to know where you are.

[CAB123x in reply to helvella]

How about vitamin D and magnesium?

[helvella Administrator in reply to CAB123x]

I am not the best person to ask about them. Maybe put up a new post including your vitamin D test results?

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

would you consider heme as opposed to a ferrous fumarate or biglycinate?

[Insomania]

Do iron supplements not agree with you? I’m the same. Didn’t get much help from GP and my ferritin was poor for years. With encouragement from this forum, I asked for a referral to haemotology. While waiting, I had an iron infusion at nearby Nuffield hospital, I walked out of there feeling like the world was now in technicolour! Mood uplift! Hearing improved! I take Tranexamic acid for heavy periods. I’m under nhs haemotology for iron deficiency anaemia and the Dr is great. I’ve had two nhs iron infusions since the private one, one last week. Very thankful.

[DiNL]

I take heme iron supplements. No side effects at all. My ferritin is now stable and I feel a lot better. I highly recommend them.

[CAB123x in reply to DiNL]

Where do you get these from please? X

[helvella Administrator in reply to CAB123x]

I accidentally missed off a link from my reply - now added. That has a link in it - and much else.

tattybogle

[DiNL in reply to CAB123x]

I order from the US - the company is called 3 Arrows. However I think if u are in the Uk u could try Amazon and look for heme iron. I have used a brand called Optifer in the past and this was good too. But 3 Arrows have 20mg tablets and are stronger than Optifer. Heme iron has done wonders for me and highly recommend it.

[Panda_26]

Or you could take something like a beef liver or organ supplement to boost your ferritin ,as they're very nutrient dense. there's a good one by ancient nutrition I think , I'll find a link....

[Panda_26]

Sorry it's APE nutrition. - grass fed beef liver. apenutrition.co.uk/collecti...

[FallingInReverse in reply to Panda_26]

CAB123x and Panda

Read those ape product labels carefully. The iron levels are so low I’m wondering if I’m reading them wrong.

It’s best to supplement individual vitamins and minerals vs using these combination multis that don’t match your needs.

Three Arrows heme iron is 20 mgs of 100% dehydrated beef organs and nothing else. Highly recommended for iron issues. Remember that iron supplements should never be taken unless you have a full iron panel and can commit to regular testing while finding your own personal level of iron intake needed to avoid iron toxicity.

[Panda_26 in reply to FallingInReverse]

Yes I'm aware the levels are low but the idea is you are eating a whole food rather than a synthetic vitamin replacement? As far as I understand I think this means different requirements to achieve the same end. Also sometimes supplementing individual vitamins can throw out others in balance and you don't have that issue as this is a whole food... . But obviously depends on individual needs and we are all different and so need to find what works best for us!

[FallingInReverse in reply to Panda_26]

Dehydrated animal organs in a capsule are not a whole food, and do not offer the same protections nor benefits of eating that same food in its original form.

The iron in that supplement wouldn’t even replace what a person sheds daily, and that’s not even accounting for the absorption issues that us hypo folks have.

Also, that nutritional label indicates that’s what’s in SIX capsules. It’s shockingly low - comparatively a waste of money vs other pure heme supplements available.

Also - us hypo folks supplement because we are not able to absorb what we need from food. That is part of the reason why some of us don’t just eat an iron rich diet (after trying, of course). For some of us, trying to ingest enough iron through whole foods to correct an iron deficiency would be prohibitive and also lead to other issues like vitamin A toxicity.

Consider (again if I’m reading this right) you would have to take 36 of those ape pills to get the equivalent of one serving of beef liver.

Again - I do wonder if I’m missing something as the vitamin/mineral content of those pills is so very low.

I’m not sure what you mean by individual supplements throwing off others in balance. The zinc/copper may concern me, but which ones are you referring to?

[Panda_26 in reply to FallingInReverse]

Yes, it was a general comment about how zinc/copper calcium/magnesium, etc, and single B vitamins sometimes need to be taken alongside a b complex , thats all. And it was just a suggestion re the APE product , I didn't mean to offend anyone, - was just trying to offer a suggestion based on them saying they didn't want to take an iron supplement and so I was just trying to help offer an alternative . I hope you understand my intentions were good....

[FallingInReverse in reply to Panda_26]

Of course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No worries at all!

As you know this board is an incredible resource especially because we are all here to learn. Because of that I have never seen anyone here without the best intentions.

I would say the same back to you - that I hope you understand my intentions as well.

I appreciate your reply!

[helvella Administrator in reply to Panda_26]

Three Arrows isn't synthetic. Both that and the APE products are freeze dried bovine organ(s).

And the APE products requires you take six capsules to not quite reach a single milligram of iron.

So that is six gelatin capsules. Some members really do have problems with significant intake of gelatin.

And they don't even tell you whether they are bovine or porcine - nor do they claim they are produced from "grass-fed beef" or some special pigs.

[FallingInReverse in reply to helvella]

The label says beef liver & grass fed. But that doesn’t counteract the other issues.

Panda_26 let us know if you have other questions. It’s true in all cases there is a situation of everyone is different and needs different things.

But biology and chemistry is objective - and these supplements are at best a waste of money.

[helvella Administrator in reply to FallingInReverse]

The contents is grass fed - but the capsules themselves won't be! And that is what I was referring to and why I mentioned the "porcine" possibility.

[Panda_26 in reply to helvella]

Yes , I understand the gelatin capsule wouldn't be ideal for everyone, - it was only a suggestion based on what worked well for me...