We are obligate aerobic creatures requiring constant, good oxygenation. Allergic individuals sometimes have less than ideal oxygen delivery because of nasal obstruction or asthma.<\/p>\n
If, in addition, they are anemic, then oxygen delivery to the tissues is reduced for a second reason.<\/p>\n
Iron deficiency anemia is fairly common, especially in growing children and menstruating females. The usual therapy for this is oral iron supplementation. Until recently, this was recommended on a daily basis. However, recent research published in the Journal Blood<\/i> is altering this advice.<\/p>\n
It seems that within a few days of starting oral iron therapy our bodies make a peptide called hepcidin which inhibits intestinal iron absorption. \u00a0And so the very act of taking iron can put on the brakes, so to speak, of absorbing it.\u00a0Trying twice or thrice a day dosing only increases the hepcidin levels more.<\/p>\n
Luckily the researchers found a simple solution: \u00a0take the iron every other day.\u00a0 This keeps hepcidin levels low and iron absorption high.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are obligate aerobic creatures requiring constant, good oxygenation. Allergic individuals sometimes have less than ideal oxygen delivery because of nasal obstruction or asthma. If, in addition, they are anemic, then oxygen delivery to the tissues is reduced for a second reason. Iron deficiency anemia is fairly common, especially in growing children and menstruating females. The usual therapy for this is oral iron supplementation. Until recently, this was recommended on a daily basis. However, recent research published in the Journal…<\/p>\n