No on statin…. This is iron deficiency anemia. Obviously as we discussed in the podcast … sort out why you have this and make sure it isn’t due to a bad cause … but the labs as simply iron deficiency with anemia … so that will need treatment and assessing by a physician who is well educated in this workup. Additionally, if you orally absorb, it’ll likely take a year of supplementation to get things low range of normal. Most of us are recommending every other day 60-65 mg of elemental iron - such as 325 mg of Ferrous sulfate.
However, there must be an assessment to make sure there isn’t a source of ongoing loss … as it is an error to simply supplement, even if you think you know why you are iron deficient -gastrointestinal malignancies are the worry and a proper evaluation is needed by a physician.
Donation centers couldn’t care less what your ferritin is. They can’t actually measure it with a finger prick. They check your hemoglobin or hematocrit depending on the location, which is not the same thing. It’s likely unsafe to donate 6x per year for nearly everyone. Women especially, but men too. I’d stick to twice a year if you aren’t going to check your ferritin level, but you really should check it. Giving blood occasionally is health promoting, but like with many things, too much can be detrimental.
P D Mangan covered very similar ground in his 2016 book dumping iron. He also wrote an article on it noting how many longevity drugs/compounds being tested are iron chelators.
The interesting question is how high are the mouse iron levels in all these different labs compared to the ITP mice and is that difference driving the fact that so many compounds which show success in early testing fail the ITP?
@adssx According to the paper: high iron in tissues vs low iron systemic availability…from inflamaging:
“ Factors responsible for age related systemic iron depletion, other than poor diet and use of certain medication, may include elevated levels of circulating hepcidin due to underlying chronic inflammation [15]. However, further evidences are required to explore the effects of aging, iron status, and inflammation on regulation of hepcidin [14]. Iron stores in tissues are found to be increased with aging. This increased intracellular iron induces deleterious effects on cellular functions due to redox imbalances leading to ferroptosis that contributes to aging and associated morbidity and increased mortality [16]. The low systemic iron availability and increased intracellular iron levels may be linked with increased production of hepcidin due to underlying chronic inflammation associated with aging”
Metabolic diseases may be prevented by reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing plant-based diets with animal-based ones low in carbohydrates but high in protein, fat, and iron. While the effects of sugars on metabolic diseases are well-known, the role of iron remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of a high-fat high-iron animal diet on body metabolism in mice. Micro-PET imaging was used to assess 18-F-labelled glucose uptake in BAT, and the morphology, respiratory function, and oxidative stress of BAT mitochondria were examined. The underlying mechanisms were elucidated by analyzing the expression of UCP-1, PGC-1α and PPARα. The high-iron high-fat diet increased appetite, impaired glucose tolerance, and reduced insulin sensitivity. Additionally, the high-iron diet promoted gluconeogenesis only in the absence of high-fat levels. Both high-iron and high-fat diets suppressed BAT activity, increased mitochondrial oxidative stress, decreased mitochondrial respiratory function, and lowered thermogenic gene expression. Weight loss strategies focusing solely on reducing carbohydrates and increasing animal foods, like ketogenic diets, may have long-term detrimental effects on metabolic health. Prioritizing dietary diversity and monitoring overall caloric intake is advisable for optimal outcomes.
Just my opinion, but the seasoning keeps it separate pretty well, Iron oxide isn’t that absorbable. I think the amount you get is trivial. I’m loaded with Iron,but expect it mostly comes from red meat. My daughters cook with cast Iron and they’re all short on Iron. Pretty sure this is not the problem.
