Episode Details

Most people assume low ferritin means they need more iron. But what about the woman whose ferritin is actually high and she still feels exhausted, is still losing hair, and is still bloated every single day? That's the case this episode is built around, and it's one of the most important iron stories Heather has ever told (because it goes WAY beyond iron)

This is Part 2 of a three-part series on iron, and it covers what happens after iron is absorbed and why it can still fail to reach the cells that need it. Dr. Heather walks through the case of her client Danielle who came to gutTogether eating clean, exercising consistently, and taking a carefully curated supplement stack and still couldn't figure out why her body felt so depleted.

In this episode:

• Why a high ferritin doesn't automatically mean your body is iron replete and what elevated ferritin with low iron saturation actually signals
• What ceruloplasmin is, why it's the missing link in most iron conversations, and how copper status determines whether iron can move at all
• How long-term zinc supplementation without copper awareness quietly undermines iron transport
• Why the body deliberately sequesters iron during infection and dysbiosis 
• The thyroid-iron connection: how sluggish T3 conversion creates functional iron deficiency even when labs look "normal"
• Why the answer wasn't more iron and what actually started moving the needle
• The interesting turn of events that contributed to a last minute addition to the episode

Next week: Part 3 covers iron storage and what has to be in place for ferritin to actually build and stay built, and why some women do everything right and still can't get above 30

Ready to fully address your iron issues and low ferritin? Make sure to join the live training "Why Iron Isn't Enough" on May 31st! 

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