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Optimal iron levels and blood donations

CherryAA

CherryAA

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,170
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I've been reading up Dr Mercola and realised that my iron levels - whilst normal per the lab 82 ( range 13-150) is high according to him ( optimal range upto 60 and too high over 80) .

Mercola seems to think that too high ferritin also makes you more susceptible to diabetes ( and various other diseases )

Mercola recommends that men and all post menopausal women have too high ferritin levels and they can effectively improve health by donating blood a couple of times a year - has anyone tried doing this?
 
I dont Think They want People that are diabetic to donate blood , But I am not sure of that . But conserning the High iron levels he might be right , I have always had very High levels of iron even when not in longer periods eating meat. There are some families with a genetic tendence to accumulate iron and in those families almost everyone end up becomming diabetic , the women some year later than the men because of their period . There are many with that gene variant on the British Islands more than in other parts of the World.
 
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I asked the blood people if someone with Type 1 can give blood and was told: "anyone with diabetes can give blood unless they treat their diabetes with insulin".
In other words, definitely not possible for Type 1 but may be possible with type 2.
 
I struggle with giving enough blood for my annual tests now that I'm diabetic lol. I didn't used to have a problem when I donated blood years ago. I do have high iron levels so I find this thread interesting.
 
CherryAA said:
I've been reading up Dr Mercola and realised that my iron levels - whilst normal per the lab 82 ( range 13-150) is high according to him ( optimal range upto 60 and too high over 80) .
Click to expand...

This range is completely different from the range shown on my lab reports.

Mine says the range is 7 - 30umol/L

Are yours in different units? I also have values for saturation (iron binding) and TIBC (total iron binding capacity) which presumably need to be taken into account? As mine are all in the normal range I have never done any investigations.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
This range is completely different from the range shown on my lab reports.

Mine says the range is 7 - 30umol/L

Are yours in different units? I also have values for saturation (iron binding) and TIBC (total iron binding capacity) which presumably need to be taken into account? As mine are all in the normal range I have never done any investigations.
Click to expand...

per the report
"As with many other lab tests, the "normal" ranges for serum ferritin are far from ideal. In some labs, a level of 200 to 300 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) falls within the normal range for women and men respectively, which is FAR too high for optimal health. In reality, you're virtually guaranteed to develop disease at those levels. An ideal level for adult men and non-menstruating women is somewhere between 40 and 60 ng/mL. You do not want to be below 20 ng/mL or above 80 ng/mL."

I think you may not be comparing the right thing

This is FERRITIN which is shown on my report to be in ng/ml at 82 with a range of 13-150 which the good doctor suggests should be under 60 . That is in a different section of the report

Separately there is then a section on mine called serum iron and UIBC
The SERUM IRON range 6.6 - 26.0 in umol/lite sounds like the thing you are comparing .
then there are unsaturated iron binding capacity neg 20-62 and
iron binding % range under 15-50%
all three of these things are shown as normal in my report - as is Ferritin under the expanded definition of upto 130 not below 60 optimal as above.
 
OK sorry .... but you did say IRON levels! (before moving on to Ferritin)

CherryAA said:
I've been reading up Dr Mercola and realised that my iron levels - whilst normal per the lab 82 ( range 13-150) is high according to him ( optimal range upto 60 and too high over 80) .
Click to expand...

My lab report shows ferritin standard as 10 to 160
 
If I remember correctly, I think ferratin is somehow involved in the body storing iron - too high a level of ferratin circulating in the blood can indicate storage issues, too low can indicate anemia
I vary between low and normal haemoglobin which concerned the hospital when they first picked it up but they are not concerned any more as its now seen as my 'normal' to hover at the low end of the reference range. The initial concern was explained by my diabetes consultant as being due to the fact that aneamia in diabetics can be indicative of kidney problems, which have been excluded in my case thankfully
 
Bluetit1802 said:
This range is completely different from the range shown on my lab reports.

Mine says the range is 7 - 30umol/L

Are yours in different units? I also have values for saturation (iron binding) and TIBC (total iron binding capacity) which presumably need to be taken into account? As mine are all in the normal range I have never done any investigations.
Click to expand...

some scientists and food-specialists do think the official guidelines are far too high... concerning upper recommended blood glucose levels

here is a link summarizing at which levels the different adding diseases seems to be occurring more frequently :

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045678.php

I think that kind of knowledge ought to be from where we find the levels to strive for.. at least to be under the levels that seem to be causing more severe adding diseases
 
You ought to also consider the haematocrit levels in blood as well and the breakdown of whole blood counts too.
 
I have been a blood and platelet donor for the past 30 years, but since being diagnosed as type 2 diabetic three years ago I have been borderline anemic and need iron supplements. However, as long as my iron level is acceptable they still want my blood. I take 3 metformin daily.
 
"
Diabetes

If you are under investigations then please check again after these have been completed.

You may donate as long as

EITHER you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes (abnormal blood sugar) or gestational (pregnancy) diabetes as long as you do not require treatment at present
OR your diabetes is controlled by diet alone
OR You are taking the same dose of the same medication for 4 weeks or more either orally or injectable medication such as Exenatide or Liraglutide and feeling fit and well and you must make sure that NONE of the following apply. If the following apply we are sorry but you are unable to donate.

You need regular insulin treatment
You have needed treatment with insulin within the last 4 weeks
You have suffered from Heart Failure
You are under investigation, on treatment or under follow up for renal (kidney) impairment
You have had ulcers or wounds related to a loss of sensation
You have had amputation or blood vessel surgery
You have problems with feeling faint, fainting or giddiness

If you have had gangrene then please call us to discuss on 0300 123 23 23

Please always mention medication you are taking to the staff at session"

From here https://my.blood.co.uk/knowledgebase/Index/D

As far as iron is concerned I think is only if you are Anaemic that it's a problem
 
Not wishing to derail, but I think it is important to mention that people with diabetes are more likely to develop anaemia (low iron) than non diabetics, and there are links between the two conditions.
Here is an overview
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-and-anemia#1

So being low has as many problems as being high.

High levels of iron in the blood can also be a sign or warning sign of a rare form of diabetes known as Bronze Diabetes, and this should be checked out (diagnosis is by a serum ferritin test). Treatment is relatively simple (blood donations) but too high iron can cause damage.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hemochromatotis-bronze-diabetes.html
 
"
Anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia of any cause can lead to reduced
HbA1c values because of reduced red cell survival.
Iron deficiency anaemia can lead to an inappropriate
rise in HbA1c of 7 - 11 mmol/mol, which falls after
iron treatment.
Patients with renal failure can demonstrate both iron
deficiency and haemolytic anaemia, thereby having
an unpredictable effect on the HbA1c result. "

http://www.pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pathology/Portals/0/PDFs/BP-2013-01 Diabetes.pdf
 
JohnEGreen said:
"
Anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia of any cause can lead to reduced
HbA1c values because of reduced red cell survival.
Iron deficiency anaemia can lead to an inappropriate
rise in HbA1c of 7 - 11 mmol/mol, which falls after
iron treatment.
Patients with renal failure can demonstrate both iron
deficiency and haemolytic anaemia, thereby having
an unpredictable effect on the HbA1c result. "

http://www.pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/pathology/Portals/0/PDFs/BP-2013-01 Diabetes.pdf
Click to expand...

I was just given this link today. (Thank you @Indy51 ) Dr. Bernstein says:

DG4FKXNUQAA2rMo.jpg


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DG4FKXNUQAA2rMo.jpg
 
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