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Why taking an iron supplement might be making things worse

Been told your iron is low and to take a supplement?


Here’s what no one is telling you: more iron might not be the answer.


Yep, I said it. And no, I’m not here to be controversial. I'm here because your body is smarter than you’ve been led to believe - and I’ve seen way too many women suffer through iron supplements they didn’t even need, without anyone looking deeper.


I’m Hayley Down, a Registered Nutritional Therapist with over 9 years of clinical experience, specialising in women’s hormonal health. And if you’re feeling foggy, flat, and fed up with being fobbed off, you’re not alone - and you’re definitely not imagining it.


⚠️ The iron trap – is your iron REALLY low?


Let me tell you about one of my clients, Jess. She came to me totally exhausted - napping in the afternoon, struggling to concentrate at work, and watching more hair clog the shower drain every week. Her GP told her, “Your iron is fine.”


But she didn’t feel fine.


She’d been taking iron tablets for months - with no real improvement. In fact, all it was doing was making her constipated and turning her poo black! So, we ran a full iron panel, checked her gut health, and discovered the root of the issue wasn’t iron levels, it was absorption and inflammation. Her periods were also super heavy, which wasn’t helping! With the right personalised support, her ferritin levels started climbing naturally - and she felt like herself again.


🧩 Iron metabolism - it’s not that simple.


Iron metabolism is complex - not just “low iron = take a supplement.”


Let’s break it down:


🔍 First up, what is ferritin?

It’s a protein that stores iron and releases it when your body needs a top-up.If your ferritin is low, it might mean your iron stores are dipping...

BUT - and this is a big but - ferritin alone isn’t the full story.


To really understand what’s going on, we also need to look at:

  • ✔️ Serum iron

  • ✔️ Transferrin saturation

  • ✔️ Total iron-binding capacity

  • ✔️ CRP (C-reactive protein – a marker of inflammation)


🚩 Why Ferritin Alone Can Be Misleading


Standard ferritin ranges (15–150 ng/mL) are designed to spot severe deficiencies. But they’re not optimal for women with hormonal symptoms. I want my clients in the optimal zone of 70–90 ng/mL—especially if you’re dealing with:


  • Fatigue

  • Hair shedding

  • Brain fog

  • PMS

  • Period problems



🤔 Is Your Iron Actually the Problem?


Do any of these sound familiar?

  • You’re knackered, no matter how early you go to bed

  • You’ve got hair shedding and it’s stressing you out

  • You feel foggy or forgetful

  • You’ve been told your iron is “fine” but still feel rubbish

  • You’re taking iron supplements and seeing zero difference

  • Your periods are heavy and clotty


👉 If you ticked 2 or more, it’s time to dig deeper. You’re not just being dramatic. Something’s being missed.


What’s Really Causing Low Ferritin?


True iron deficiency is rare. Your body’s a recycling machine - most iron is reused, not lost.

But when something messes with absorption or increases inflammation, ferritin can drop. Or it can get trapped in cells, giving false highs. Common culprits?


  • ❌ Candida

  • ❌ SIBO

  • ❌ H. pylori

  • ❌ Ulcerative colitis

  • ❌ Coeliac disease

  • ❌ Low stomach acid

  • ❌ High dairy intake

  • ❌ Excessive turmeric supplementation


What to do instead


This isn’t about skipping iron altogether. It’s about using it wisely.


✅ Your game plan:

  • Get a full iron panel, not just ferritin

  • Pair iron-rich foods (like lentils or spinach) with vitamin C for better absorption

  • Support your gut health to improve nutrient uptake

  • Check in with your GP to rule out anything serious – especially if you’re unsure as to why it’s low in the first place

  • Work with a practitioner (like me!) to dig into inflammation, digestion, and hormone imbalances

 

Let’s Be Real...

You don’t need to be hospital-level anaemic to deserve support. You don’t need to wait until you’re burnt out or sobbing in the GP car park to finally feel heard.

Sometimes, you just know something’s off. And that’s enough.

 

🔥 Ready to Get Answers?


I work with women who are sick of second-guessing symptoms, wasting time on supplements that don’t work, and being told “everything’s normal” when it clearly isn’t.


I take on a limited number of new clients each month, so I can give you my full attention and get to the bottom of what’s really going on.


Want expert eyes on your iron and hormone health? Click below to book your free 30-minute discovery call - no pressure, just real answers and a plan that actually works for you.


 

 
 
 

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