I haven’t written about anemia before although I have in the past had my challenges. Many of my clients come with lab results indicating they suffer from anemia.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Having anemia can make you feel tired and weak. There are many forms of anemia, each with its own cause. Anemia can be temporary or long term, and it can range from mild to severe”.
I am not going to go into further details about symptoms, causes and treatments here. I will leave that to the professionals. You can read more at the Mayo Clinic webpage – https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360.
My purpose in this post to consider the possible link between anemia and endocrine disruption and what more could possibly be done to alleviate the condition. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with endocrine and hormone systems.
The Environmental Health Perspectives article Environmental endocrine disruption: an effects assessment and analysis states:
Found in many household and industrial products, endocrine disruptors “interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for development, behavior, fertility, and maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell metabolism).”
Any system in the body dependent on hormones could be affected by endocrine disruptors. The hormone hepcidin is the principal regulator of iron absorption and distribution. Hepcidin excess or deficiency, through disruption of any kind, can alter intestinal iron uptake, leading to either iron deficiency or iron overload. The body’s iron balance is controlled through absorption from the diet.
What can you do if you are suffering from either iron deficiency or overload?
When I work with clients to help them recover from their health challenges and eliminate their symptoms I work from a two step approach when it comes to endocrine disruptors and other harmful environmental and body pollutants. Not all iron deficiency or overload conditions are the result of endocrine disruptors so discuss your condition with your regular healthcare provider for assistance.
Step # 1: Avoid/stop adding in harmful, disrupting environmental body pollutants
If you are challenged by either iron deficiency or overload, take a look at your exposure to and elimination of endocrine disruptors. You can find more information on endocrine disruptors at:
Body Pollution: http://www.mybodycanhealitself.ca/bodypollution.pdf
Pollution in Newborns: https://www.ewg.org/research/body-burden-pollution-newborns
REPORT: TOXIC NATION: A REPORT ON POLLUTION IN CANADIANS – https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/report-toxic-nation-a-report-on-pollution-in-canadians/
Endocrine Disruptors, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors, The Environmental Working Group, https://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
Hormone Disrupting Chemicals, The Hormone Network, https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-edcs
9 Ways to Avoid Hormone Disrupting Chemicals, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), https://www.nrdc.org/stories/9-ways-avoid-hormone-disrupting-chemicals
Avoiding Endocrine Disruptors in Food: Obesity – https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/forbidden-fruits-the-endocrine-disrupting-threat-of-obesogens/
Step # 2: Detoxify existing body pollution of harmful toxins, disruptors.
The human body has many natural efficiency detoxification process when working correctly with help the body to detoxify harmful substances. Sometimes your body may need some additional help. Consider adding in additional detoxification supports to help promote your body’s natural detoxification process. The method that I have found most effective in my health recovery and that of my clients is whole body detoxification.
Maintaining Healthy Longevity: Keep Your Liver Happy in the Midst of Toxins, Distress and Happy Hour – http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/maintaining-healthy-longevity-keep-your-liver-happy-in-the-midst-of-toxins-distress-and-happy-hour/
Guide to Less Toxic Products – a resource of safer, less toxic personal care and cleaning products – https://lesstoxicguide.ca/
Listening to your intuition can guide you away from foods that may be harmful to you due to the presence of endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins or other harmful substances. Learning how to using your body as a gauge to determine the potential harm of a food can help you to protect your body and avoid consuming harmful substances. Learn more at my blog post HEALTH PROTECTION: Using Your Body Responses to Identify Health Challenges – http://mybodycanhealitself.ca/wordpress/health-protection-using-your-body-responses-to-identify-health-challenges/
Wishing you health and happiness in your beautiful life!
Elisabeth Hines, C.N.C., C.B.P., Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Health by Design, www.mybodycanhealitself.ca
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Sources:
Regulation of the Iron Homeostatic Hormone Hepcidin, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227985/
The Role of Hepcidin in Iron Metabolism, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855274/
Endocrine Disruptor, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor
Anemia, The Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360
The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/iron/