I've been recently diagnosed with iron deficiency after ignoring the symptoms for so long, i used to feel like i was dying, things i used to enjoy became so hard to do.. i kept thinking that it was just normal fatigue but it never went away no matter how much i slept or how many vitamins i took.. it got serious and i started fainting and falling all out the sudden in public, after that i realized that there must be something wrong and that its not just a normal fatigue.. i decided to see a doctor and now im following a treatment, i tried to eat more and never forget to take my medication but i still always feel tired even if i do a really simple thing that doesn't require a lot of effort, it feels like slowly dying.. it's so hard and i hope it gets easier for every person who is experiencing it, stay strong and keep nourishing your body ❤
I'm struggling with this right now too. My doctor gave me high dosage ferrofumarate and I get that I should take it first thing in the morning, but it's not easy. I feel *terrible* after taking it.
Same here. The smallest tasks drain me…I told my friend it feels like I’m dying slowly. Just saw a hematologist yesterday who’s going to try giving me iron through IV because I’m not absorbing it through pills. When she said it’ll take a 5-6 weeks to come in I got really sad just knowing I had to feel like that much longer. Maybe you can reach out to a hematologist to try the same thing. Prayers for you and anyone dealing with this. 🙏🏾
Your advice really worked for me. I'm a female in my early 40s and I've had low iron my whole life. I never did anything about it until about the last couple of years. My iron went up slightly. After your video, I started taking my two non-heme iron supplements in the morning and before I started eating for the day (I only start eating at lunch time). I also continued to take each iron pill with vitamin C and B12 (which I was doing before). After about 6 months, my Ferritin level went from 21 to 215!
@@StronglifePhysiotherapy No difference in how I feel, surprisingly. I was motivated to get my iron within normal range because I was diagnosed with PVC (arrhythmia) and my low iron was a potential cause. I will test again in Sept to determine if that made a difference. Hopefully no more PVC.
I just want to tell anyone who experiencing the horrible shortness of breath part... Halls cough drops really take the edge off, and eating raw ginger. Also a tablespoon of black strap molasses or with hot water Sending healing to all ✨🌻
Can attest to the black strap molasses and ginger. I was having ginger tea but will try raw thank you! I also drink key lime (vitamin c for absorption) with a spoon with a spoon of molasses first thing in the morn. Works right away!
I litterally thought I was at my end of life this last year. Shortness of breath, dizzy, lightheaded for the last 12 months. I got a hold of microscope and looked at a sample of my blood and behold it was target red blood cells everywhere. I started taking iron 5 days ago and can already feel an improvement. Will definately buy a bottle of the stuff you reccomended. Thank you.
My ferritin levels were a 4. I felt like my soul left my body. No energy at all! I am currently experiencing heavy menstrual cycles due to a permanent form of birth control. I had 5 iron infusions to see if my levels would go up. I will see my blood specialist next month I am praying for my numbers to be within Normal range.
So sorry to hear! Have you tried a good heme iron supplement? I’ve seen people have much better success with heme iron versus plant-based iron. It’s absorbed much easier. Here’s the brand that I like: amzn.to/3ncuG5Q I wish you the best in feeling better!
just_me...Mega Food has a gentle blood builder. Taking it every morning on an empty stomach, waiting 2-3 hours before you eat; this will make a world of difference. Do it daily.
@@StronglifePhysiotherapy I have exactly the same as the lady but I also have thelmasemia minor. Any suggestions on not getting iron overload down the track
@@napoleonsparis2058this is what I take currently and am seeing great results slowly. I had to get an emergency blood and iron transfusion. Been feeling great ever since
Beef Liver was my game changer along side no tea / coffee grains so I really find when I go gluten free and grain free ans eat fish / meat / liver and liver supplement it realllllly helps me along side vitamin C too ! When fall off the wagon it’s because I do stupid long hours in work and one man show as a single deaf parent u defo feel the effects of the low iron . I say to myself - keep it simple stupid . Eat whole foods . Don’t drink with meals . Use apple cider and lemon water in morning before any food to keep stomach acid up ! It’s a game changer and this last month due stress Iv been slacking but this video is a great reminder !
I tried liver too but found out the vitamin a level in it is extremely high and eating too much can lead to some worrying symptoms. That is why i stick with beef, a good source of iron.
On the nº2 advise, if you don't want to take supplements and since most vitamin C is only ascorbic acid, instead of the whole vitamin C complex, have red meat combined with fermented vegetables. The best combination would be grass-finished liver with sauerkraut
I do believe meat iron is Heme and doesn’t need any vitamin c to be absorbed but if you’re vegetarian then. Sure .. lemon water with veggies or camu powder
Great video! So few people know how many things block iron. So many enriched foods are useless (I'm looking at you breakfast cereal) because other foods block the added iron. Took me two years of religious supplementing to get my ferritin up from 28 to 80 (as a runner I'm aiming for 100!). My doctor warned me that it can take along time and not to stop taking the supplements or be discouraged. I also went on birth control to reduce my periods as much as possible - since women lose so my iron every month.
Thank you for sharing! Yes a lot of people get the recommendation to take iron but get none of the information to actually be able to absorb it. Sounds like you've come a long way, great work! Have you tried heme iron? It doesn't get blocked the same way that non-heme iron does. I actually really like liver supplements to help raise ferritin.
I also read studies that it's better to take Iron every other day, instead of every day. The studies showed that the people who took Iron every day had higher levels of Hepsidin (Not sure if spelt correctly??) than those who took their Iron every other day. I have very low Iron levels due to heavy, prolonged periods and want to start taking my new (Non Heme, Iron Bisglycinate....only 14 mgs per tablet as well!) Iron every day to get it into my body quickly but then I read about taking it every other day for better absorption, so trying that. I am taking two of the tablets a day, so will be having 28mgs which I know is still too low, but I didn't want to try anything much higher because I don't like the idea of having an upset stomach or being sick!!! I'm also taking it with lemon water for the vitamin C.
This was a great educational video. Short and to the point. Thank you for all the examples as this helped me understand better. Thank you for the suggestion/recommendation for the supplement at the end.
First time viewer. 4-13-2023. I take ferrous sulfate. Have acid reflux. Just now bought the Three Arrows Heme you recommended. Also, will take it first thing in the morning, as I took it with meals. THANK YOU !
@carolcole570 aw darn!! Sorry to hear. I was also prescribed Ferrous Sulfate and just stopped it to try 3 arrows. I had a dizzy spell today so im not sure if it was from the 3 arrows. ☹️ Sending healing vibes
I just got lab results and my iron level is 45 so still within “normal” range but my ferritin is 4. I checked last years labs and it was at level 2!! It makes me upset that my doctor never advised me on this and I have been suffering extreme fatigue and hair loss for a long time now. I hope this is the main cause and hope to be able to fix it thanks to videos like these. We have to advocate and treat ourselves bc many doctors sadly aren’t :((
Wonderful and truly helpful. I thank you so much. I wish I had known this all of my life. I think I am not good at absorbing non-heme iron. I will take heme. This is an important video. Thank you!
I ordered some of this iron. It's defiantly more gentile on the system than non-heme sources. My ferritin level is 23. I'm going to continue working on this number and have it rechecked in six months. My doctor doesn't think I need to do anything about it because my other blood work is fine. I'm hoping this will help with my fatigue. Thanks for the advice!
my ferttin was 44 my doctor allways said every thing is good i didnt listen and took iron 6 months my ferttin went to 88 and i felt way way way better i will keep taking and tracking it so i bet it will help u too good luck .
Mine was 5! And the doctors kept saying it was alright even tough I was having heart palpitations, tiredness and everything...😭 I had to ask for the iron pills...I took it and now my ferritin is 9... When I stop taking the pills I start having the palpitations again
I was diagnosed as a level 4 too! Multiple times I have gone back to get my blood checked and they have been 6, 7 and now 4. I have had heavy periods too, but didn’t know they were that heavy until I started taking the pill. I just started on ferrograd C, if nothing changes I’ll be getting a iron infusion!
@@ridazahra2501Hi there, just saw your comment that you started taking ferrograde c. How do you feel, are there any side effects? Do you feel any improvement? I just bought it and am very anxious, not sure what do do. My iron level is very low and am feeling like everyone else does here in the comment. Would really appreciate your feedback. Thanks
@@TheGrayStorm87turns out chicken liver has more iron per serving than beef liver. I didn’t know that until just now after checking. So yes, chicken liver should be great!
So all these will block non haem iron absorbtion, - grains - legumes - diary - nuts , seeds - beer, wine ( so alcohol) - green vegetables Basically about every food.
Yes, you basically need to take it on an empty stomach and with vitamin c. Otherwise you're probably not absorbing very much. Sadly most are not informed about this. But this is only for plant based or synthetic iron sources. Animal based iron or heme iron is not blocked by other foods and is much more easily absorbed and used by the body. I highly recommend liver or a liver supplement as a way to improve iron/ferritin
After having low iron levels for (likely) years, I finally started taking VitronC- which was recommended by my doctor. Three months later, I have levels checked again and they are worse. How could this be? I have started taking SlowFe (found on Amazon) but really need something effective. Perhaps something I’m eating or drinking (or taking other meds) that affects absorption? So, here I’m scouring RU-vid looking for answers. This is not a simple process and it greatly affects daily life functioning. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated-thank you!
If i take Heme iron, must i take 1 hour before food, must i take with vit c? Thanks for your video. How long must i take for my body to be able to absorb iron normally?
Note for anyone who wants to avoid the mistakes I made in my last pregnancy‘s major struggles with iron: Tums are calcium carbonate so inhibit iron absorption, and zinc (which I was taking every time one of my kids had any sort of cold symptoms) inhibits absorption as well.
This video was informative and to the point. Thanks for making it! I found it because now in my current pregnancy my ferritin has dropped to an 8!!! I totally wasted my second trimester “nesting energy” by not having ANY energy, and didn’t know it was fixable. I took beef liver capsules 3x a day and finally worked up to the max of 4x/day. Apparently it wasn’t working, which surprised me since my sister had an incredible CBC panel throughout her pregnancy and postpartum, and that’s what she took. Same brand and all.
So I have Endometriosis. I won't stop bleeding. It's been going on for yrs now. It sux. I read that lack of Iron can create more bleeding. I took Iron but it wasn't doing anything. I'll try the heme iron. Thank you! 🌺
I have endometriosis too and durning my periods it dreadful I hate to see my periods come. It’s my first couple of days that are killer. I honestly need relief. My doctor wants me to start birth control but I’m hesitant 😟
What happens if you have thyroid issues and you take your thyroid meds (levothyroxine) in the morning? Isn't it bad to take iron supplements in the morning if you already take thyroid meds in morning?
I got my iron from 24 to mid 60s in 3 months by taking it in the morning on an empty stomach. Vitron C is what I used but I’d like to try this one he’s recommending
Oh wow. I honestly didn't even know this lil bit of information, So, thank you again for this video!!.. Ya just Learn something new every day Like the whole "Heem" and "Non-Heem" AND the FACT that lts blocked by certain foods!!... Ahhh man, Great information, THANK'S for the knowledge brutha!! =) =) =) 😎👍🏽👍🏽 Much Appreciated!! =D
Make sure you are low in iron, you might be other causes of feeling low. Many people especially middle age and older have accumulated too much iron and ferritin and that is very bad as well.
Such wonderful advice! So reassuring - I'm not iron deficient, but take a non heme supplement once a week. I was anemic before becoming vegan, so just want a little bit of insurance just in case. I normally fast until lunchtime, so will take it before lunch instead of afterwards in future. Have always done the Vit C thing. Thanks again!
Iron supplements can be rough. Most people find they tolerate Heme iron supplements much better, even on an empty stomach although you can take Heme iron with food without worrying about absorption being blocked.
What are the important things we should get tested when we go for yearly check ups? Things the doctors would normally not get tested if we don’t ask for them .. cuz I know they only check the basics and the. Say it’s all good when you know it’s not..
thank you so much. Is is possible to have coffee first thing in the am then wait 2 hours to take the heme iron pill? I practice intermittent fasting and I I can take my iron at 9:30 or 10 then have my first meal 1t 12;30. Please advise and thanks again
Great question! The wonderful thing about heme iron is that coffee and most other foods don’t block it’s absorption. So you don’t really need to wait two hours.
Doctor my iron is 75, TIBC 414, UIBC 339 but Ferritin is 23. Is is safe to take Iron supplements since my iron is good but Ferritin? Please advise. Thank you 🙏🏼
If your at a 23 ferritin your running low.You need to be at least 80 or 100..I think you should take iron it will help to get the iron up and have more energy.
Dr. AJ, my middle aged daughter does not want to take iron because she says it causes her to have constipation. Will you please give me your thoughts on this ? I am trying to talk her into trying Three Arrows, but would this product be any better concerning constipation than ferrous sulfate ? I am going to talk to her again this morning, and would value your opinion, please. Today is 10-4-2023. THANK YOU.
Yes the three arrows is much easier on the digestive system. My wife had the same problem with other types of iron supplements but has had no problems with the heme iron. Another solid option is a beef liver supplement. It’s a great source of heme iron plus other vitamins minerals and cofactors. I usually recommend the Ancestral Supplements brand
Blood test results said my ferritin level was 6,5. I went to the doctor. He prescribed iron, not pills, but bottles. I had to take one bottle a day for 20 days and after that one every other day. I also had some anemia, but not very important. After taking all that, my ferritin level is 4,5. 😮 How can this be possible? My body seems not to be absorbing iron. Either it is because of the gastric sleeve I had done (but that was 12 years ago) or I am sooo worried until they find the CAUSE. I might get a colonoscopy and stomach endoscopy done to check if there is something wrong, even though the doctor doubts it. I have an appointment with another doctor in 5 days. See what he says. I am really worried. THE CAUSE is what worries me.
Yes they will have to check if you are having small bleeds somewhere or if you have a genetic condition making it difficult for your body to absorb iron. It can take up to 6 months for your iron levels to get to normal & even longer for your iron stores. My levels were 6.5 three months ago. After 2 units of blood, 3 months if sucromal iron tablets, vit C & folic acid my iron level is 13. Now working on replenishing my iron stores. I still have a bleeding condition that may hamper my progress but so far so good.
Dr.A.J-I had an iron infusion 3 weeks ago, not feeling any better. Just started taking the Iron Repair Heme Plus last week. You said your wife was taking the Iron Repair. How long did it take for her to either feel better or get her ferritin/iron levels up?
She starting noticing improvement within a few weeks. It took several months to see a more dramatic change. I hope you're starting to notice some improvement!
My ferritin reserves went down from 20 to 16 within 3 months. Reason? I’ve been having coffee everyday or almost everyday. I back in taking iron pills with vitamin C buffered alkali and have stopped coffee altogether. Hoping I can raise my levels again and get my hair back. I do have leaky gut.
I wish I had more depth of knowledge about beta thalassemia. It looks like supplementing iron is controversial. Eating more iron rich foods like red meat and organ meat like can be beneficial but I would discuss it with your doctor or a dietician that may know more about your specific situation. I wish I could be of more help and I wish you the best in your health journey!
Thank you for this video , i been deciding to tey this product my iron levels have been low and im premenopausal, i have heavy periods, l do eat beef liver and beef and red meats along with non heme veggies especially greens , been feeling like poop low energy and fatigue, somewhat nauseous, i was taking ferrous fumate it does seem to help but alot of stomach nausea and constipation messes with my stomach it also has vit c in it too. I hope to order this product i hope it works , i will let you know how it works for me ,
Iron bisglycinate is a synthetic form of iron and can be helpful. Heme iron supplements are more natural, better absorbed and have fewer side effects. I'll link to the kinds I like below. I also really like liver supplements as natural source of iron plus many more vitamins, minerals and co-factors that work together to improve iron levels and overall health. Iron Repair: amzn.to/3PYZfaL Beef Liver: amzn.to/46wRYEz
I have erosion of the exaphagus, Crohn decease and can’t absorb water soluble vitamins, my condition can cause Dysplasia, I have a liquid supplement, I consider injecting it to bypass the small intestine, G I Doctors don’t know how to treat, I had one recommended, apple cider vinegar, that can’t be taken if I have a hernia, at a seminar given by a doctor from Yale Medical university, at UCLA had a seminar andhe told the doctors, that they didn’t know how to treat treat it, what do you suggest ?
Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time finding the right treatment. I can't say I'm an expert in the treatment of Crohn's disease but if you walked into my office I would mostly likely do hyperbaric oxygen treatments to lower your inflammation and help your esophagus heal. I would also do food sensitivity testing to see what specific foods trigger inflammation in your body and adjust diet accordingly. For iron (assuming ferritin is low) either a heme iron supplement which has a much higher absorption rate or I would recommend an iron infusion if your ferritin is low enough. Sometimes ferritin is high when you have high levels of inflammation, if that were the case we would want to focus on reducing inflammation first.
I have my first cup of coffee approximately an hour after waking up, I also fast in the morning. It says iron bisglycinate on the label. Would that be ok?
All you need is vitron c iron supplement b12 b complex and women's multivitamin and eat plenty protien my iron level is going up pretty well now . Within about 2 months since I passed out on my kitchen floor from my iron level being extremely low had heart palpitations and breathing problems due to my iron being so so so so low.
Doctor, your videos are amazing, kindly answer me that I'm taking iron polymaltose complex 100mg thrice a day, is it a heme iron or non heme, it raised my ferritin levels from 4 to 25 within two months, i also ate about 4kg of beef liver in these two months...
Iron polymaltose complex is not a heme based iron but can still be helpful. It was probably the beef liver that helped the most. Beef liver has high levels of heme iron plus a lot of other essential vitamins and minerals that work together with iron. Sound like your ferritin levels are moving in the right direction. Good work!
The advanced trichology derma looks like a decent iron supplement. The added vitamin c will help with absorption but it's still a synthetic iron which is easily blocked so you would want to take it on an empty stomach (if it doesn't upset your stomach) or be very careful about what foods you eat with it. Otherwise a heme based iron supplement would be better absorbed. Here's an updated link to the one I recommend: amzn.to/3vNJOui
Does low ferritin cause insomnia with some people? I have always been tired for years, sleep all day and no energy. Now I experience extreme insomnia and all these other symptoms that is is associated with low levels.
Yes, low iron and/or ferritin can cause trouble sleeping. When your blood isn't oxygenating sufficiently your body doesn't sleep as efficiently, so your sleep quality goes way down.
8-9-2023. I want to ask you a question, please. On your recommendation I started taking Three Arrows Simply Heme iron a few months back. Up until that time I had been taking Ferrous Sulfate……..and my stools were always dark, as I had grown to expect from taking iron. But, after starting Three Arrows, my stools are now always light colored. Will you please tell me if this is normal ? Thank you !
Ferrous sulfate is a synthetic or chemical form of iron and due to the way it is absorbed in the intestines it can cause black stool which is fairly common. Three Arrows is a different more natural form of iron that is more easily absorbed that doesn’t turn your stool black. So yes, it is normal to have a change in stool color! Many find that it is easier on the digestive system and tends to boost iron and ferritin levels more quickly. 😊
You totally forgot to mention carbonyl iron which is far superior to most all of the non heme supplements with a bio-availability rating of 88%, and it is much cheaper also. It has been around since the 1920's.
My Ferritin Level is 16, But my iron levels are normal, bhai i have unbelievable amount of fatigue and weakness im mostly absent minded and my body aches, is this all because of low ferritin? Doctor please reply on this🥺 Im just 20 years old
Thanks for sharing your experience! It is very effective at raising iron and is also a very effective elimination diet which would help lower levels of inflammation. Many plant foods block the absorption of iron. How long have you been doing carnivore? Are you planning on continuing indefinitely?
@@StronglifePhysiotherapy I’ve been on it for almost 4 months. Honestly, I feel so amazing, pain free, absolutely no inflammation, a page full of health issues either cured or remissed, depression and anxiety are gone, and I’ve lost 55 lbs. (started this weighing 260, now 205) I’ve gained muscle like I’ve never had even at my prime. I’m 54. and my sex life is back! Happy wife happy life!
i started having these ferrous fumarate supplements and i wanted to ask something. can i drink milk after around 5 hours of taking the supplement? because i normally always drink milk before going to sleep whether it’s regular whole milk or strawberry soya milk. is it okay if i keep a time gap between taking the supplement and then having milk as well?
Hepcidin actually blocks iron absorption, so it's the other way around. When it's higher you are absorbing less iron. It's lower in the morning and higher in the afternoon
So sorry! Liver is another great source of heme iron with the added benefit of multiple vitamins and minerals that work well in combination with iron. Liver supplements are what a lot of people use if they don’t like to eat liver.
It's hard to take iron supplements on an empty stomach especially in the morning as I don't eat much then and this upsets the stomach real bad and get stomach ache. Have to take it with lunch when I eat a little heavy to stop the pain. Don't know if that would help raise my iron levels. 😮
It can be hard on the stomach. You'll still be getting some iron most likely but it depends on if you are also eating foods that block iron absorption. This isn't a problem when you take heme based iron. It doesn't upset the stomach and doesn't have issues with absorption being blocked by other foods. Organ meat supplements (like liver) are what I recommend.
@@StronglifePhysiotherapy thank you but being a vegetarian I have no choice but to have non heme iron even though it has uncomfortable side effects. I try and have a substational lunch so as to have less pain. Lunch is normally rice, beans, lentils and salad varied each day.
So this supplement is no longer in production huh ? Have you done an updated video with an updated product?? Currently about to try liquid ferrous phosphate.
Sorry if the link isn’t working here’s the one I recommend: amzn.to/3rJPzXS Or this liver supplement: amzn.to/3DCnUuJ Ferrous sulphate can definitely work but absorption isn’t as high and is easily blocked by many foods. Most find fewer side effects and better success with Heme based iron. I really like the liver supplement because it has other important vitamins and minerals that will help your symptoms too.
Stick with foods that your body can digest! Coffee is crap IMO. Milk is best raw but is optional. If your ferritin is too high look into an IP-6 supplement. High ferritin can be linked with high cholesterol. IP-6 brings them both down.
Possibly. It’s not as common if you are low on iron but could be a sign of iron overload. Might be worth taking a break from supplementing for a few days and getting your iron levels checked if you haven’t recently.
@@followmesky I live in Europe on the package it says : Fe-Lip Liposomal Iron (liposhell technology); it comes in 7 gr, 14 gr and 20 grams dose. I was taking 20 gr one a day. It's in form of jell. I know this iron is available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart. The package is mostly in RED print. cheers
Sorry to hear that! You are young and should be feeling good! Red meat and liver are two of the best food sources of iron. Animal sources are most easily used by your body. Plant sources, like leafy greens, are helpful but not as easily absorbed. Hope this helps and you can return to feeling your best!
