Treating Iron Deficiency & Anemia in Bellevue, WA

Naturopathic Treatment for Iron Deficiency & Anemia in Bellevue

The first principle is to measure properly. A complete blood count alone is insufficient, because haemoglobin is the last marker to fall; Dr. Sanika orders ferritin alongside serum iron, transferrin saturation, total iron-binding capacity and often CRP, since ferritin is an acute-phase reactant and can read falsely reassuring when inflammation is present. The second principle is to find the cause rather than simply refilling the tank. In a menstruating woman the usual answer is menstrual blood loss, and heavy bleeding is then treated in its own right; in others the workup looks for coeliac disease, H. pylori, gastritis, or medication effects, and refers for gastrointestinal evaluation where blood loss is suspected — particularly in a post-menopausal woman, where unexplained iron deficiency warrants investigation rather than supplementation alone. Repletion is then done in a way people can actually tolerate: gentler forms such as bisglycinate, alternate-day rather than daily dosing, which evidence suggests improves absorption by avoiding a hepcidin spike, taken with vitamin C and away from calcium, coffee and tea. Clinical nutrition addresses food sources and the absorption inhibitors and enhancers that surround them. Repeat testing at around three months confirms that stores are genuinely rebuilding, and treatment continues well past symptom resolution because ferritin needs to be restored, not merely nudged over the laboratory cut-off.