re: Iron Deficient but not Anemic (LONG!!)

[Guest guest]

Dear Diamondsmileca:

You asked for the cause (not the treatment) for your iron deficiency. Okay.

But it would be very helpful to understand your condition if you actually

reported all of your " good " blood counts (hgb? hct?) AND those that are out of

normal range.(such as your Ferritin?)

Without knowing the actual values on your CBC, (but on the basis of what your

doctor reported) I'm inclined to agree with Ku, who wrote to you yesterday.

It sounds as though you do NOT have enough adequate iron in STORAGE to

maintain normal production of hemoglobin. As you probably know, iron is an

essential

chemical for hemoglobin.

There are a myriad of reasons why someone may be anemic, because of the fact

that there are so many different TYPES of anemia.

However, if your anemia is due to IRON DEFICIENCY, there are only three

possible CAUSES. You could be suffering from one, two or ALL THREE of the

following

causes:

1) Lack of adequate iron in the food you eat

2) Problems with your ability to absorb iron (such as a lack of stomach

acid--ph--which slows down absorption of iron)

3) Blood loss (from heavy menstrual periods, GI blood loss, etc.)

We LOL (Ladies of the List) who become iron deficient should familiarize

ourselves with our CBCs to keep track of changes.

When you become iron deficient because of one (or more of the reasons listed

above), the following happens:

First: some background info.: remember that your red cells are produced in

the " factory " known as your marrow, (along with the WBCs and platelets.)

The RBCs will " hang out " longer within the " factory " (i.e., the marrow) if

they don't have enough iron to " empower " them.

When those red cells hang out in the marrow, unfortunately, they don't just

hang out passively. They wait for iron, and if the iron ain't a comin' in due

time, they start to divide, in half, then in half again. Smaller and smaller

they become.

The actual number may be ok, but a small RBC is not a particularly healthy

RBC.

When your RBC's start to divide and are eventually released into circulation

they are called " microcytic " (i.e., " small cells " ).

All iron deficient people will have microcytic RBCs. You can verify this on

YOUR reports by checking out the MCV. (the AVERAGE size of your red blood

cells). An average person's MCV is between 80-100. (My lab has to be different

and

report the normal high as being " 98 " , not " 100 " ):-)

This is useful information for a hematologist, coupled with the hgb and hct,

because a HIGH MCV would rule OUT iron deficiency (but may indicate probs with

anemia associated with B-12 or folate)

Also, check your MCH (the average amount of hemoglobin in your RBC's). Iron

deficiency creates " anemic-looking " RBCs (i.e., paler in color- aka

" hypochromic " ). That's 'cause hemoglobin gives RBCs that lovely red color, and

without

iron, hemoglobin is just plain " malnourished. "

Anyway, to cut to the chase, and not get too bogged down with this

hemopathology info,. it sounds like you are IRON LACKING, not IRON DEFICIENT.

You need

to build up your iron in storage.

And since it was suggested that you increase your dietary iron, it may be

useful if I retyped some basic info. I posted recently about maximizing your

iron intake via diet.

Sorry if you've already read this in my earlier post! " Regular Roma Readers "

should avoid boring themselves with " Roma Rerun " and simply scroll down to

the next post!! :-)

******************************************************************

DIETARY IRON (Iron in Foods)

" Natural " always " sounds " best--BUT be aware that it's pretty difficult to

correct a *significant* iron deficiency WITHOUT supplementation.

Take note that there are two different types of iron found in foods: HEME

IRON and NON-HEME IRON.

The EASIEST (AND BEST) IRON TO ABSORB in foods comes from those containing

HEME-iron.

These include meats like beef, chicken and pork.

NON-HEME iron (the other type of iron) is found in veggies, but actually is

MUCH HARDER for the body to release from the food sources. Non-heme iron is

much LESS easily absorbed and is harder to digest than HEME IRON.

Actually, NON-HEME irons (spinach, broccoli, beans, et al.) is absorbed in

the body ONLY by piggy-backing onto phosphates such as those found in ascorbic

acids like Vitamin-C rich foods.

So, our sailor man friend, Popeye, ( " quick to the finish, 'cuz I eat my

spinach " ) was NOT actually getting iron-rich from his spinach!!!!

However, rest assured Popyeye WAS building healthy red blood cells. Spinach

is high in folic acid, an essential ingredient for the health of red blood

cells.

So if you're iron-deficient, make sure your meals contain foods rich in HEME

iron, and make use of a cast iron skillet, if possible.

Don't OVERCOOK your meats, because the more it's cooked, the less iron your

meat retains. So, it's best to go for meats that are cooked quickly (choose

steak over the long-cooking pot roast. Although, you could always try luscious

recipe for pot roast and drench your pot roast with a good red wine, and get

some iron benefit in the process, no???:-))

Consider cooking/utilizing and eating a CITRUS PRODUCT with your meat entree.

(A tomato salad, perhaps???? Why not? Hey, the research Carla cited this

week, indicated that those lyocopene-loaded tomatoes may help reduce the

incidence, size and number of fibroids.

No one on this list actually responded enthusiastically about tomatoes

reducing THEIR fibroids--but-- with respect to eating tomatoes.....

(As Jewish grandmothers say about chicken soup: " It couldn't " hoit!!!! "

If you need to up your iron intake AVOID anything with tannins, (such as tea)

which blocks iron absorption BIG TIME--about 90%!!!

That said about iron, please be aware all of you ladies of the list, EXCESS

IRON can be damaging, and even LETHAL.

NO ONE on this list should be taking oral supplementation, unless your doctor

prescribes it, based on actual DOCUMENTED iron deficiency.

So don't " guess " from symptoms alone what your needs are; get tested (have a

CBC), eat healthfully. If iron-deficient, check with your doctor about the

need for supplementation. Determine what your target blood values will be, and

STOP taking supplementation when those values are reached.

Here's an informative site I found elaborating on foods with heme and

non-heme iron

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/dietiron.html

Hope this helps your hematology and health,

Roma