Low Iron Saturation Vs Low Iron: SIBO, Genetics and Medications

Are you looking at your blood tests and wondering the difference between low iron saturation versus low iron, what they actually mean, and what could be going on when you have one versus the other or both?
In this video, we're going to look at the difference between low serum iron and low iron saturation and what it can mean for your body, your overall health, and what could be causing these situations.
So low iron saturation means you have low levels of iron coming into the body to saturate the transport protein called transferrin. This can happen from decreased consumption or decreased absorption in what you take in, in terms of iron. On the consumption side, it's pretty straightforward. Animal protein and the corresponding heme iron in that animal protein are what's going to be the most bioavailable form of iron.

Just like there are genetic alterations that increase iron absorption in things like hemochromatosis, there are also genetic alterations that decrease iron absorption. Medications like acid blockers, PPIs such as omeprazole, pantoprazole will definitely decrease iron absorption.

Things like SIBO and digestive bugs, even SIFO or fungal overgrowth will also lead to lower absorption of iron because these bugs, bacteria, fungus, etc. are eating what your body should be getting. So instead of it absorbing through your digestive tract into your body, the bugs are eating it instead.

In terms of low iron, usually when you have low iron, you're going to have low iron saturation. Iron saturation will lead to low ferritin, and eventually, you'll have iron deficiency anemia.

Now you certainly can have different combinations of these things like normal iron saturation and low iron as well. This can happen if your absorption is normal or at least decent, but you're losing iron from menstruation or for other reasons like the breakdown of your hemoglobin for some reason.

In summary, iron saturation refers to the saturation of the transferrin molecule and will be low when your body is low in iron or low absorption of iron from the digestive tract.

Low iron levels in the serum or serum iron usually correspond with low iron saturation, but there are cases where these things can diverge. If you are getting value from these videos and want to continue getting videos like this