Will treating iron deficiency help me lose weight?

[Tootiredallthetime]

I’ve been struggling with low iron since having children 5 years ago. Over this time I’ve developed a long list of health problems including insomnia, 2 stone weight gain, restless legs/ sore muscles, tinnitus, headaches / migraines with aura, dizziness and vertigo (also cosmetic issues like flaky nails, hair falling out). My memory is very poor and I have to work very hard processing information. I also have PCOS.

I’ve been taking prescription 300mg iron for years, every few days because I can’t stomach daily. Plus the liquid spatone and well woman which has iron. I have had an incredibly healthy diet this last year (wholegrain lowish carbs/ I avoid ultra processed food, plentiful veg/fruit red meat and fatty fish, olive oil, full fat dairy, limit sugar, calories 1600-2000 per day).

Despite the oral supplements and healthy diet, I continue to have low iron and many symptoms of iron deficiency. My GP has finally conceded that I am unable to absorb oral iron, so he has referred me for an iron infusion (which I have to partly pay for).

My question is, will the infusion work for which symptoms and will it help with weight loss? I’m struggling to find evidence as weight gain is not one of the symptoms on NHS website. I know it sounds vain, but I’m obese and really depressed about it and desperate to lose weight. Of course I hope it will help with the other symptoms, which I’m sort of used to now so bother me less than the weight which I can’t get used to (I know that sounds ridiculous but I’ve just kind of accepted them and can’t remember what it’s like to feel normal!)

@FlapsInTheWind I can’t absorb iron in my gut... that’s why I have been referred for an iron infusion! And I already eat a low carb Mediterranean diet.

I've got PCOS as well, noticed that all diets or meds have results for a bit but not long-term. What seems to be working for me, is to keep changing my diet every 8 months or so. I was following the Mediterranean diet for almost a year (good results at first), and then tried Keto for a bit, now I'm doing a combination of 16-8 and low carb

Improving your iron mineral in your body is a good thing, it will gives a good strength to your body. At the same time it will never helps to lose your body weight. So please follow some fitness trainer advice for weight loss.

There is no such thing as a low carb Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is high in carb, if you remove the carbs, it is no longer the Mediterranean diet, and this is maybe why you failed at following it.

I am sorry you are struggling OP. People with PCOS have low-grade chronic inflammation and eating a lot of meat, butter, processed meats, .... might make your PCOS worse . Maybe instead of focusing on carb or fat, focus on fibre and have high fibre meals. This will help develop beneficial bacteria that can help fight inflammation.

I hope you feel better after your iron infusion. On the dietary iron absorption point, it doesn't matter if the tea/coffee is decaf or not. Caffeine can inhibit the absorption for non - heme iron so things like legumes , but it is the other substances such as polyphenols and oxalates that will prevent the iron to be absorbed. You shouldn't drink tea/coffee (even decaf) for two hours before and two hours after meals if you have iron issues . Have you maybe been drinking a lot of decaf coffee because you feel so tired?

Just a thought @Tootiredallthetime . Are you taking supplements such as curcumin/turmeric for example? Curcumin is a potent iron chelator, it removes iron from the cells and can cause iron deficiency.
Do you take supplements to support your PCOS?

GordonPym I had no idea curcumin could do that! I just had an iron infusion last week - I'm going to cut out the curcumin now. Thanks for the info.

Thanks so much all. My Med diet IS fairly low carb. I don’t eat bread or pasta, just brown rice and potatoes (but not every day and in small quantities). I see a med diet as lots of protein (meat, fish, beans etc) and fresh veg plus some dairy. Olive oil and all cooked from scratch with flavour provided by garlic, herbs and spices.

Really interesting about the tannins prohibiting iron absorption- I eat blueberries for breakfast everyday and drink lots of decaf coffee and tea (I avoid caffeine after breakfast). So that could be causing map absorption.

I’m going for my iron infusion soon and will report back. The consultant will cover possible causes and aftercare.

Looking back at my medical notes, I can see that low iron has been an issue all my adult life but I was never told. That’s hundreds of unnecessary GP appointments, prescriptions and pain/ discomfort for me, which could have been nipped in the bud with better prevention. Thanks to the NHS app I can join the dots myself now.

It infuriates me that I was treated for each symptom separately and no one noticed that it was the low iron causing it. I was down to 10.5 when I was suffering the symptoms yet they did not join the dots?!

The insomnia is intolerable and I agree that is probably one of the reasons I’m obese. It’s certainly not my diet which is low cal and healthy.

*mal absorption

One of things I will cover with consultant is PCOS, although I understand metformin can prohibit iron absorption. I will certainly discuss all the options, but hopefully the infusion will help tackle the insomnia and then the weight loss will come.

On the other hand, I’ve got PCOS and a bmi of 18. If your tired you will crave food to give you energy.

I’ve got Endo too so I take 220mg ferrous fumerate at night right before I turn the light off, iron likes an empty stomach. It took 3 months or so to feel better.

They set patients up to fail if they don’t tell you how to take something like iron. Medics should know iron binds to tannin, it’s a tea/coffee drinking country. It doesn’t like zinc or calcium either from what I remember.

Maybe it is time to pause @Tootiredallthetime and consider what you have been doing these last years that did NOT work. Continuing doing the same thing, but more of it, isn't the solution. Several things for you to consider and maybe you can try a few:

1. I wouldn't call 1600-2000 calories a day a low cal diet. You do know that when calculating your needs, be it in macros or overall calories, you must use your adjusted weight and not the weight you are at, right?
   You can use this calculator to define the adjusted weight. www.omnicalculator.com/health/adjusted-weight

2. The Med Diet is low in protein and you are eating a high protein diet which will increase your insulin resistance and make your PCOS worse, especially if you are eating animal protein that will activate mTOR more than plant protein .

Try eating normal protein, meaning 0.8 gr for kg of adjusted body weight, mostly plant protein, not too much fat given it is again an aggravating factor for metabolic disorder.

3. You can make your own Spatone water at home for a fraction of the price using luckyironfish.com it is an iron ingot that you put in a pot of boiling water and let boil at low heat for 10 min with a few drops of water, and then use the water for soups, stew, rice, .... or herbal tea. Not tea or coffee , because of the polyphenols.

4. Have you ever tested your Omega 3 index? They can make a drastic difference for PCOS www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5870911/
   It will not be covered by NHS and the cheapest and easiest way to do it is with omegaquant.com . THe first time maybe don't buy the basic one, but go for the complete which analysis many more fatty acids levels, then for surveillance, you can have ether basic
   IF you decide to supplement , skip the middle man (the fish) and go straight for the source, the algae. Look for EPA-DHA such as the Deva EPA-DHA, no fishy burps or digestion issues.

5. Despite your "healthy " diet - and here I want to add that a high protein diet is not an healthy diet - you don't feel well, you have a worsening of symptoms, and are getting nowhere. The gut microbiome seems to be linked as well so you should read a bit about this pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31513473/ as a low carb diet is definitely not gut friendly. Increase your prebiotics and probiotics food, increase your fibre, not too much fruit, just once a day in the morning, reduce how often you eat, nothing between meals, not even a bite of celery, , and try to eat in a 12 hours window like between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm or adjusting this to fit your schedule.

6. Moringa leaves tea can help alleviate symptoms and lower insulin so you might want to look into that, but will not work with high protein, especially animal protein, as protein will raise insulin. Moringa also has iron in it, and if you make it with the iron water from the lucky fish, even more.

@GordonPym thank you so much for the information! I will try to follow your suggestions, as I have similar problems with OP

Quick question, do you think taking mollers tablets precautionally for omega 3, is going to help with everything you mentioned?

@IsabelHerna Ideally one should know their index, so one can adjust the dosage. I tend to opt for mono- supplements, so omega 3 and nothing else, so I can take more or less, without worrying I am overdoing another mineral or vitamin. I also prefer algae-based and eat every day at least 35 gr of flax seeds to cover my ALAs.

There is no such thing as a low carb Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is high in carb, if you remove the carbs, it is no longer the Mediterranean diet, and this is maybe why you failed at following it.

Some call it the Modi-Medi. It is the Mediterranean diet - that has been studied in the Predimed large-scale trial and countless other studies and shown to be the healthiest diet in the world and the best for longevity and prevention of the diseases of ageing, like cardiovascular disease, and vascular dementia, for starters.

Ok so now I’m more confused than ever. The replies on here are making my head spin and undoing what I thought were facts. I always thought the Med diet is high protein- fish, poultry, some read meat, beans, pulses eggs and a bit of dairy. Lots of fibre and lowER carb than a ultra processed western diet? I know it’s not Keto. My GP said my diet is very healthy... I can’t see what the issue with it is and why it would make my PCOS worse?

The advice about iron absorption prohibitors makes more sense. I was advised to take it with Vit c fibre (orange, satsuma) which I do. Plus avoid taking it within 2 hr of caffeine.

I will reply back once I have my consultation with the iron specialist Dr. Hopefully he will shed some more light on it all.

It’s all very confusing right now, but that might be because I can’t sleep!

The Med diet is high in whole-grains, pulses, legumes, ie plant proteins, vegetables including root vegetables, fruit, olive oil, fish, and more sparing in animal proteins like meat.

PS: I wouldn't worry so much about the bro-science.

@Tootiredallthetime animal protein are not at the core of the Mediterranean diet. It is a lot of vegetables - and here it is important to point out it is not only quantity but variety as well- and fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, olives and olives oil, some seafood and occasional meat. It is a way of living more than a diet designed in a lab.

The reason your animal proteins could make your PCOS worse is due to inflammation amongst other things.. The medical literature is quite clear on that if you spend some time on PubMed instead of social medias (including MN)
The most recent paper on that :

The PCA identified a Mediterranean diet, a meat-egg diet, a shellfish-shrimp-dairy diet, and a staple food-soybean diet. The meat-egg (odds ratio [OR] = 1.404; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.163-1.695) and shellfish-shrimp-dairy (OR = 1.287; 95% CI, 1.057-1.568) diets increased the risk of PCOS. The Mediterranean diet (OR = 0.759; 95% CI, 0.624-0.922) was identified as a protective factor and was negatively correlated with the DII. In conclusion, certain dietary patterns are associated with PCOS. Pro-inflammatory diets increase the risk of PCOS, and the DII was negatively correlated with the Mediterranean diet and positively correlated with the PLR, NLR, and SII. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35108617/

You should also go easy on milk as again linked to PCOS .

You will soon see a specialist for iron, and hopefully this will make you feel better.

Maybe try a week of reducing/eliminating animal products in favour of lentils, chickpeas, unrefined flours , and a massive amount of vegetables, from asparagus to leeks, embracing fresh parsley , coriander, dill, .... Challenge yourself to try 30 different plants be it vegetables, herbs, fruits, seeds, .... make green beans-tomatoes -red onion - black olives - parsley salad and you have already 5 . A week, 7 days, just to see how you feel, eating a fresh, colourful and plant dominant diet

My mum had to have an iron transfusion.
Before she struggled to breathe, couldn't walk to the bottom ov her driveway, had chest pains and had brain fog. I honestly worried that she wouldn't make it through the night. The day after her first transfusion (she had two, one week apart), she was up, lively, bright chatty and she could walk a long distance with no problem (she was 85). The change was like night and day almost immediately. But, sorry, her weight didn't change, if anything she put a bit of weight on because she felt better. But nothing really noticeable. However, the improvement in her quality of life was huge.

Hi op,
I just read your post and wanted to sympathise with you. I also struggle with anaemia and during lockdown my ferritin was 2 and my haemoglobin 88. I felt so lethargic and breathless I was really struggling and so I didn’t realise at the time but I think I started to eat more food as an attempted ‘pick me up’ throughout the day just to try and get some energy. Since then i’ve had an iron infusion and the change in my energy levels was incredible. I’ve lost close to 2 stone exercising and following the keto diet and my BMI is now down to 20.
I’m not saying that you are overeating but for me the awful feeling of having nothing in the tank was making me overeat and not be able to move much. x

@GordonPym I see, this way you manage to take exactly the mg you need, you're right, I like this! I need to order vitamins this week, so I will search and calculate exactly how much I need from each one.

There is no consensus about what is or isn't a Med Diet.
I would say the key daily feature is pulses & lentils.
Others say little red meat.
Others say little ultra-processed food.
etc.
There is no clear single definition.

I hope you feel better soon, OP.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of living of a region, what you eat in Italy is slightly different of what you eat in Greece, Spain or Lebanon. There are common features, such as pulses, a LOT of vegetables, little real cheese (not the plastic wrapped square fake cheese) more from sheep/goats than cows, some fish, whole grains, a few nuts after dinner especially in winter and so on.

It is not a diet designed in a University with a set menu, or invented by someone who is after clicks on Youtube videos or selling a program.

It is also a way of living with meals sitting at a table with family and friends and not a tray in front of television . People do not carry food in their handbags, cars , do not have snacks in their office drawer or a crap shelf in their kitchen, .... nor do they eat while walking, unless it is a gelato when they go for a walk after dinner. Children from birth are given real food. Children menus do not exist in real restaurants (not the tourist traps) , parents just order half portions. None of these chicken nuggets, fish finger, fries, ...

The Mediterranean diet despises processed food and embraces real food. Meat not a lot of it, fish isn't covered in crumbs and fried, but grilled, the vegetables follow the seasons and are far more varied that the tasteless and nutrition-void iceberg lettuce or sweetcorn in a can.

In other word, the Mediterranean diet is a long list of yes and no . I hope you get better soon OP, and that the iron treatment will give you energy back.

The Med diet - as a diet referenced in pretty well all the current literature one diet and health and on disease prevention - I have read is essentially the traditional diet of Crete.

It isn't some random thing made up of pizzas.

It is not a diet designed in a University with a set menu, or invented by someone who is after clicks on Youtube videos or selling a program.

Exactly. It is an observational dietary pattern, that has been studied for decades.

"The MedDiet contained three to nine serves of vegetables, half to two serves of fruit, one to 13 serves of cereals and up to eight serves of olive oil daily. It contained approximately 9300 kJ, 37% as total fat, 18% as monounsaturated and 9% as saturated, and 33 g of fibre per day."

Nothing in there about red meat %, Crete, pizzas, processed food, seasonal food, pulses, cheeses, meals before telly, seeds...

Honestly, the phrase is nearly meaningless. It means whatever you do or don't like it to mean.