Iron Could Be the Hidden Reason Behind Your Fatigue

Written by Flora

Iron deficiency is more common than you think.

We all seem to have accepted that tired is the new normal. It’s easy to write off persistent fatigue as the inevitable result of a busy, modern life. But what if there’s a tangible, correctable, physiological reason behind your exhaustion? Your tiredness could be due to iron deficiency.

You need iron to help you manufacture hemoglobin, a key component of red blood cells. If your blood vessels are streets, hemoglobin is the delivery truck that carries oxygen to all your cells. No oxygen? No energy.

Around the world, more people are low in iron than any other vitamin or mineral. The US is not immune: up to 12 percent of white American women have iron-deficiency anemia, and almost 20 percent of African-American and Mexican-American women do. [1] Who’s at highest risk?

Women who lose blood every month through their menstrual cycle
Pregnant women who are producing extra blood to help their babies grow
African-Americans, Hispanics, the elderly, and vegetarians^[2],[3],[4]

Signs of iron deficiency

Feeling super-tired is the most common symptom of iron deficiency, but there are others:

Loss of appetite
Difficulty concentrating
Pale skin and dark circles under the eyes
Frequently feeling chilly
Frequent colds
Brittle hair and nails

The more of these signs you exhibit, the more likely you’re low on iron.

How to find out for sure

If you think low iron may be the source of your troubles, get your iron levels tested. Your doctor will be looking at three main things:

Your ferritin, or stored iron. Normal is 12 to 300 ng/mL for men and 12 to 150 ng/mL for women. [5]
Your hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein. Normal is 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL of for men and 12.0 to 15.5 for women. [6]
Your hematocrit, the percentage of your blood made up of red blood cells. Normal is 34.9 to 44.5 percent for women and 38.8 to 50 percent for men. [7]

Floradix to the rescue!

If you’re low in iron, it can be really hard to raise your levels through diet alone. That’s why a lot of ladies turn to iron supplements. For 60 years, they have been choosing Floradix, a plant-based, easily absorbed liquid iron supplement.

Floradix Liquid Iron + Herbs (US/CA) is recommended by naturopaths and midwives for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but it’s great for any gal who needs to up her iron. It’s ideal for vegetarians and free of dairy, lactose, alcohol, artificial additives, preservatives, and GMO ingredients. Each dose contains 10 mg of elemental iron from highly soluble ferrous gluconate. That’s important because if your iron doesn’t dissolve, you won’t absorb it!

Floradix is the best-selling iron supplement in North America, for three good reasons:

It’s a low-dose formula so it won’t cause constipation.
It’s made with whole food concentrates and B and C vitamins, plus rosehips, so it’s easily absorbed.
It comes in a tasty liquid made of fruit and vegetable juice, so you’ll actually want to take it.

What’s not to love? Reclaim your energy and vitality with Floradix.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Originally posted at: http://blog.florahealthy.com/iron-fatigue/ and used with permission.

References

[1] Killip S, Bennett JM, Chambers MD. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Mar 1;75(5):671-678.

[2] Le CHH. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 15;(11):11:e0166635. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166635. eCollection 2016.

[3] Johnson TC. WebMD. 2016 Jun 21. https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/anemia-in-pregnancy#1

[4] The American National Red Cross. 2018. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html

[5] Stoppler MC. MedicineNet. Reviewed Jan. 18, 2018. https://www.medicinenet.com/ferritin_blood_test/article.htm#what_does_a_low_ferritin_level_mean

[6] Iron deficiency anemia. Mayo Clinic. 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355040

[7] Iron deficiency anemia. Mayo Clinic. 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355040