85: Could your PCOS be affecting your iron levels?

The PCOS Nutritionist Podcast

Feeling really fatigued, low on energy, cold and sore on top of all of the other PCOS symptoms you're experiencing?

Sometimes these symptoms could be to do with your thyroid or other health complications but one of the most common causes I see of this in PCOS is iron levels!

Iron is one of the minerals in the body you’ve definitely heard of, especially if you’ve ever felt really tired, needing iron is one of the first suggestions that’ll fly your way. Our iron levels have a major impact on how we feel - if they’re too low or too high we can feel absolutely exhausted, short of breath, lethargic and sore in our joints.

Because of this, a lot of women end up supplementing without knowing if they need to. Sure, many women are low in iron for a variety of reasons but unfortunately iron is one of those nutrients we can’t mess with.

Having not enough or too much iron can cause absolute havoc in our bodies and worryingly, mess with our PCOS.

If you’re experiencing some of the symptoms above, you may automatically think your iron is low but in fact it could be the opposite. This is why I’m so hesitant for women, especially those with PCOS, to be blindly supplementing iron because they just assume they need it and why I always encourage the women in The PCOS Protocol to get their levels checked regularly.

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve been told your iron is too high
• You often feel fatigued and lethargic
• Joint pain and feeling out of breath even after little to no exertion is something you regularly deal with
• You’ve been told your iron is too low
• You have gut issues like IBS, SIBO, IBD or Coeliac

Some things we cover in this episode:

• What iron actually is
• Things that can change iron absorption
• When is iron a problem?
• Iron and PCOS
• What causes high iron in PCOS
• What to check if you think your iron might be low or high

Resources and References:

• My Book: Getting Pregnant with PCOS

Links to our programs:

• The PCOS Protocol
• Eggducated