Beyond the blood test: what your iron results aren't telling you with Laura Taylor

Ferritin looks “fine” on your blood test, yet you still feel wiped out, breathless, flat, and foggy. Or you take iron faithfully and nothing moves. That gap between symptoms and pathology is where iron gets genuinely confusing, so we brought in naturopath Laura Taylor, who specialises in gut health and iron deficiency, to explain what’s actually happening beneath the numbers. We walk through iron absorption in plain language, then zoom in on inflammation and hepcidin, the hormone that can shut the ferroportin gate and trap iron where you cannot use it. From there, we unpack the difference between true iron deficiency and functional iron deficiency, why ferritin can rise during inflammation, and how relying on ferritin alone can lead to missed clues. We also talk transferrin and transferrin saturation, plus the inflammatory markers that help you spot when iron is being sequestered rather than replenished. On the practical side, we get into modern iron supplementation strategies, including alternate day dosing and why lower elemental doses can outperform the old high-dose approach. Laura shares why iron bisglycinate is often better tolerated, how too much iron can irritate the gut and feed unwanted microbes, and which cofactors matter most for results, including vitamin C, B12, folate, copper, and zinc. We finish with a clinician-style framework for finding the driver of low iron, from coeliac disease and IBS to heavy bleeding, NSAID use, thyroid changes, and the shifting hormone landscape of perimenopause and menopause. If you want clearer answers from your iron studies and a smarter plan that matches your body’s biology, hit play, subscribe, share this with someone who keeps being told “your iron is normal”, and leave a review to help more people find the show.PROMO OFFER: $50 off The Iron Code – an on-demand training to help practitioners feel confident treating iron deficiency. Listeners can use the code DFH50 to get $50 off, bringing the price to $90. Sign up for the training at thebiomecollective.com/learnShownotes and references are available on the Designs for Health websiteRegister as a Designs for Health Practitioner and discover quality practitioner- only supplements at www.designsforhealth.com.auFollow us on SocialsInstagram: DesignsforhealthausFacebook: DesignsforhealthausDISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health