SYMPTOMS OF IRON DEFICIENCY

SYMPTOMS OF IRON DEFICIENCY [Thanks to G. Edward Griffin for the video.]

The common symptoms of iron deficiency which are easy to detect at home include: 

1) Fatigue (more than normal) 

2) Pale skin (note you might have naturally pale skin) 

3) Very pale pink or whitish-grey gums 

4) Dry, itchy skin 

5) Headaches and concentration loss (low oxygen supply to the brain) 

6) Restless Leg Syndrome 

7) Parallel, longitudinal ridges in thumbnails with a “dished” center 

8) Brittle fingernails (they break and crack easily) While no one of these symptoms alone is enough to diagnose an iron deficiency (except perhaps Point 7) the more of these you have, the more likely you are iron deficient. It’s important to ask your doctor for a blood test if you want to be sure.

MASTERJOHN: none of these has as much evidence for being a very common cause of hair loss as iron deficiency. In other words, iron deficiency is a primary driver of hair loss

...but none of these has as much evidence for being a very common cause of hair loss as iron deficiency.

— Chris Masterjohn (@ChrisMasterjohn) June 2, 2024

In 100 women with androgenetic alopecia, the first 50 were tested and 36 of them had ferritin concentrations below that of the lowest control (40 mg/mL).  --Chris Masterjohn.

Boosting iron is beneficial but incomplete.  

But if suboptimal iron status is a major but incomplete part of the suboptimal energy metabolism in your hair follicle, getting your iron levels up is likely to provide very large but incomplete benefits.