11/12/2025
Do you have low Iron? Here is some good information to help with Anemia- I cook with Cast Iron often 😉
RAISE IRON NATURALLY: ROOT CAUSES, FOODS, & HOLISTIC SOLUTIONS
🍃 UNDERSTANDING LOW IRON
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies—especially in women, kids, and those with chronic illness. But it’s often a symptom of deeper imbalance, not just “not eating enough iron.”
🔍 ROOT CAUSES OF LOW IRON
• Heavy bleeding – menstruation, postpartum, or internal bleeding (ulcers, parasites, IBD)
• Gut issues – low stomach acid, leaky gut, celiac, Crohn’s, IBS
• Parasites – especially hookworms or blood-feeding types
• Low iron diet – especially vegan/vegetarian with no organ meats
• High oxalates/phytates – found in raw spinach, grains, and beans
• Medications – antacids, PPIs, NSAIDs can reduce absorption
• Poor meal pairings – coffee, tea, calcium block absorption
🥬 TOP IRON-RICH FOODS (HEME & NON-HEME)
• Beef liver – richest food source (4–7mg per slice)
• Grass-fed beef – highly absorbable heme iron
• Dark turkey meat – good heme iron option for poultry diets
• Egg yolks – contain iron + choline
• Cooked spinach & chard – iron-rich, but cook to reduce oxalates
• Pumpkin seeds – ~2.5mg per ounce
• Blackstrap molasses – 1 tbsp = ~3.5mg iron
• Prunes, apricots, dates – plant iron + digestion support
• Lentils, beans, chickpeas – soak to reduce phytates
📌 Heme iron (animal) absorbs 2–3x better than non-heme (plants).
🍋 BOOSTING IRON ABSORPTION NATURALLY
✅ Do This:
• Pair iron-rich meals with vitamin C (lemon, citrus, bell peppers)
• Cook with cast iron skillets – iron leaches into food
• Drink nettles, yellow dock, dandelion root tea
• Take apple cider vinegar or digestive bitters before meals
❌ Avoid Around Meals:
• Coffee or tea – polyphenols block absorption
• Dairy or calcium supplements – competes with iron
• Raw spinach or almond butter – high oxalates bind iron
🌿 GENTLE NATURAL IRON SUPPLEMENTS
• Floradix – liquid herbal iron + fruit extracts
• Beef liver capsules – rich in heme iron, B12, copper
• Yellow dock tincture – herbal iron-builder
• Moringa leaf powder – iron + synergistic minerals
• Spirulina/chlorella – algae rich in iron + detox support
📌 These are easier on the gut than synthetic ferrous sulfate.
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🧬 CO-FACTORS FOR IRON FUNCTION
Iron needs help to work properly. Make sure you're getting:
• Copper – needed to transport iron
• Vitamin A – mobilizes stored iron from liver
• B12 + Folate – builds red blood cells
• Magnesium – required for enzymatic functions involving iron
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🧫 HIDDEN REASONS IRON STAYS LOW
If your levels won’t rise despite eating well:
• Parasites – Giardia, amoeba, hookworms
• Chronic infections – H. pylori blocks absorption
• Autoimmunity – celiac can destroy villi that absorb nutrients
• Copper deficiency or zinc excess
• High inflammation – traps iron inside storage and tissues
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🩺 BEST IRON LAB TESTS
Request a full iron panel, not just hemoglobin:
• Ferritin (storage iron) – aim for 40–100 ng/mL
• Serum iron
• Transferrin & Saturation %
• TIBC (total iron binding capacity)
• CRP – rules out inflammation falsely elevating ferritin
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🔁 LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO FIX LOW IRON
• Heal your gut lining and increase stomach acid
• Add heme iron foods and cofactor-rich herbs
• Avoid iron blockers around meals
• Address parasites or infections if suspected
• Track progress with blood work every 2–3 months naturally.
