Iron deficiency - neglected on this forum? Can cause diffuse hair loss, low thyroid function. Connections to danthethinningman's regimen.

[LeBrianJones]

A lot of people recommend keeping your iron on the lower side to reduce inflammation, so I planned to start donating blood. I had my iron checked to be safe, and my ferritin (marker of body iron stores) turned out to be low.

After doing some research into this, it seems like low iron can be a big problem for hair loss. Here's some info on this:

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/news/20060516/hair-loss-may-be-iron-deficiency

http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(05)04745-6/pdf

Like dannthethinningman, my hair loss started in the midst of a few years of intense exercise, and low iron is a common problem for runners. I was doing mostly weight lifting and track and field stuff, but a lot of cardio too. I was also not eating much meat and avoiding processed food (fortified with iron), but I think the major cause was the exercise.

Women tend to have lower iron because they're continuously losing blood, and if you google around you'll see some women report significant regrowth after starting iron.

Iron is used mainly in hemoglobin, but mitochondria (generate energy) use it too. dannthethinningman's regimen was based around manipulating energy metabolism with B vitamins. I think there may be a connection here.

Iron deficiency can also affect thyroid hormones.

Study on rats: http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/2498473

We propose that this abnormal thyroid state is partially responsible for impaired thermogenesis in iron-deficiency anemia.

Study on pregnant women, thyroid hormones are related to iron levels: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2007-1082

IMO this is a very neglected subject on this forum. I see a lot of people donating blood without checking iron, which is a bad idea from the point of view of hair loss. The test they do before you donate blood only checks for hemoglobin. My hemoglobin was fine, even though my iron was low.

Ferritin needs to be over 40 to stop hair loss, over 70 for regrowth. And these numbers are for women, it may be higher for men. Mine was 9. Discuss.

[CausticSymmetry]

LeBrianJones - This is definitely true. I see a lot of labs, so in most cases the levels are too high. However, once in a while I'll see below 40 and yes, will definitely be a problem.

[LeBrianJones]

CS I know you recommend taking HCl tabs instead of supplementing iron, but I started taking ferrous sulfate because I just want to get my levels up fast. I'll try to get off of iron eventually. What do you think causes low stomach acid?

[CausticSymmetry]

CS I know you recommend taking HCl tabs instead of supplementing iron, but I started taking ferrous sulfate because I just want to get my levels up fast. I'll try to get off of iron eventually. What do you think causes low stomach acid?

Other than what you mentioned above about lots of sweating (endurance exercise), a loss of iron can also be caused from a bleeding ulcer.

Low stomach acid can be caused from a lack of either iodine, vitamin B1, or sodium.

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