What do Iron and Goldilocks have in common?
Having Iron levels just right is essential for good health. Iron helps transport oxygen to your tissues literally giving breath to your cells. When levels are low we are tired because our cells can’t get enough oxygen. However, too much iron is also a problem. Iron overload can cause oxidative stress. Oxidation in the body is often described as rusting. While you are not actually rusting like a car bumper, the oxidation that occurs in the body does damage tissues. With oxidation free radicals are loose in the body. They bounce all over the place causing problems like a naughty child messing up the covers on everyone’s bed. So we know low iron and high iron are both a problem lets look a little closer at what happens to you if you have either of these conditions.
The porridge is too cold- the problem of too little iron
Anemia is a term often used to describe a lack of iron in the body. It is more accurate to say iron deficiency anemia however, because there are other types of anemia. Signs of iron deficiency anemia include pale skin and mucous membranes (the normally red tissues that line your mouth, nose and eyes), as well as fatigue and weakness.
If you have fatigue, iron is one of the first things that should be checked. In my experience low iron is often missed either because the right tests are not run, or whoever reviews the test misses it. Correcting low iron is usually a simple fix. You can eat foods high in iron or take iron supplements. Just be sure you don’t take iron unless you actually need it. Or you may find yourself with the next problem.
The porridge is too hot- the problem with too much iron
Iron overload can also occur. This can lead to oxidation in your tissues which can cause damage. Untreated iron overload can lead to diabetes, heart problems, liver problems, arthritis, and often fatigue.
So here we have a situation where too little iron is a problem, and too much iron is a problem, hence the goldilocks comparison.
The porridge is juuuust right!- optimal iron levels
Getting the levels just right is very important for optimal health. The same is true for pretty much every other vitamin and mineral you need in your body. You want to have the levels just right.
So how do you know if your iron is too low, too high or just right? You find the right professional to order the right tests, and interpret them properly. Yes I do that. You can check out my Annual Expert Lab Analysis Package for more details.
I hope this helps you get your porridge Juuust right. And in case you need a good porridge recipe try this one.
More Details
This next section is for those of you who are having a hard time finding that professional to help you, and those who are like me and just want to know more.
The test most often ordered to check iron is a CBC or complete blood count. Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, and Red Blood Cell Count are included in this as well as Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV). All of these markers help tell the story of what is happening with iron. They do not however tell the whole story. If I suspect iron is too low or too high or one the tests in a CBC comes back abnormal I will order Total Iron Binding Capacity, Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC), Serum Iron and Ferritin, and calculate the Transferrin Saturation. Trust me I am not trying to make this sound difficult. It just really is difficult. If I could say order this test, if it’s high do this, if it’s low do this, then I would. This is why having a trusted professional who will order the right tests and review them accurately is so important. The reason I am offering this level of complexity in my explanation is to help the many people who are trying to educate themselves so they get the best possible health care. All of the tests I just listed are automatically included in my Annual Expert Lab Analysis Package.