11/11/2025
"My iron will be good because I eat red meat".
"My B12 will be good because I eat red meat".
In theory, yes.
But in lab results, it's often a different story.
Remember, it's not only what you eat. It's also how you digest what you eat.
Let's use red meat as an example.
Red meat is a source of the macronutrient protein and a source of nutrients, including iron and B12.
To be able to break down and digest these components (protein into amino acids and nutrients), a couple of things need to happen.
The first is that you need adequate levels of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid = HCI) to denature dietary proteins into amino acids.
Once protein is denatured, you then need enough of the digestive enzyme pepsin to do its job. This is where iron, B12, and other nutrients are freed up, ready to be absorbed and utilised.
Pepsin = protein digestion.
So, if someone comes to me with chronically low iron or B12 and it's not related to blood loss or dietary exclusion, we always do a little investigation into whether HCI or digestive enzyme production plays a part.
In these cases, the culprit is usually amongst the following
Long-term PPI (omeprazole, etc) use*
Hypothyroidism
Chronic stress
Any condition that creates gastrointestinal malabsorption (coeliac, inflammatory bowel disease)
As always, we are always looking at the 'why' behind your symptoms or test results.
* if you are taking PPI meds, it is not something to stop without discussing a plan (or your concerns) with your healthcare provider. Doing so can result in an increase of not very pleasant GI symptoms and, in some, may worsen existing conditions.
