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(A Layperson’s Findings & Thoughts)

Disclaimer: I am far from a medical professional or scientist. The research is still ongoing on some of these points. None of the notes I’ve written are intended to be medical advice, but more of an exploration of concepts I’ve personally found fascinating.

Iron’s Mechanisms & Measurements

A Simplified Overview

I’ve gathered some notes covering what I’ve learned about how the body processes and regulates iron. My goal was to understand the main parts of the iron system and, especially during illness, how different parts interact and affect each other. Though I read a lot of medical articles (and had to look up a lot of terms from them) my own scrawlings won’t be nearly as scientific as medical sources. Either way, here is my basic layperson’s understanding of iron in the body.

1. Iron Storage

Ferritin (The storehouse). Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in cells and holds the iron there until the body needs it.

– Low ferritin can mean you have low iron levels.

– High ferritin can mean iron overload, but it can also be due to inflammation, infection, and certain illnesses.

Being reactive with inflammation, ferritin levels can increase alongside it (regardless of iron). In these cases, the rise seems to be due to an immune response rather than iron itself. When you have a viral infection like COVID-19, more ferritin is triggered in the body. Typically, higher levels of ferritin can be correlated to higher levels of illness severity.

2. Iron Regulation

Hepcidin (The security chief). Hepcidin is a hormone that regulates iron homeostasis.

– When iron stores are low, hepcidin levels tend to lower in order for the body to absorb the iron it needs.

– When iron stores are high, hepcidin rises as it tries to protect the body against iron overload. It does this by reducing iron absorption and preventing iron from being released from the storehouses.

Infection and inflammation can cause hepcidin to increase and start withholding iron. In a sense, it’s as if the security guard is trying to defend the body and its assets, making sure intruders are starved of iron. But it can also cause trouble for our own bodies because of the blood’s decreased iron availability and possible inflammation-related anemia.

Ferroportin (The bouncer). Ferroportin is a protein on the surface of the cells that hold iron in our bodies. It’s the only protein that actually releases iron from storage cells and into the bloodstream.

– Ferroportin is affected by hepcidin. When the hepcidin increases, it binds to ferroportin and degrades it. This in turn prevents iron from leaving the cells to enter the blood.

The combined effects of hepcidin and ferroportin during viral illnesses can impact our iron balance, and in turn negatively affect our recovery.

3. Iron Transport

Transferrin (The vehicle). The main way iron travels through the bloodstream is by binding with a protein called transferrin. It aids in hemoglobin production and oxygenation by giving iron a ride through our blood vessel highway. Transferrin saturation is one of the common measurements in blood iron testing, with the saturation meaning the amount of iron bound with the transferrin itself.

– Transferrin saturation is typically low when serum iron is low.

– Transferrin itself can be low due to iron overload, inflammation, or certain illnesses.

When the body is dealing with viruses like COVID-19, inflammation and increased hepcidin can cause transferrin saturation to decrease. Low transferrin saturation levels can impact oxygen levels in the body.

4. Active Iron

Serum Iron (The active traveler). Serum iron is a measurement of circulating iron within the blood. Iron has a ton of benefits for our bodies, like aiding our energy levels, muscles, immune systems, and our brains. It’s needed for hemoglobin production, making it crucial for our red blood cells and spreading oxygen throughout the blood. It’s a vital metal for us, and its levels need to be regulated and balanced. Either too much or too little can have negative effects.

– Serum iron typically lowers during viral infections due to immune responses. As we’ve seen in the previous points, although this might help curb infection intruders, it can also reduce the ability of oxygen to get throughout the body.

Given the many moving parts to iron, there are multiple aspects to inspect and compare for a clearer picture of iron levels. Some that are often tested (and mentioned here) are serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin. It’s important to look at the different pieces of the puzzle when deciphering why things are out of balance, especially when it comes to viral infections and other forms of illness. Too little iron can cause your immune system to be impaired. Too much can cause oxidation in the body and help the virus replicate.

With COVID-19 studies, clear links with iron imbalances have been found that can predict the severity and longevity of the illness.

COVID-19’s Markers

COVID-19’s Measurements

I learned that these measurements were a distinguishing factor with COVID-19, correlated with longer hospitalization, higher mortality rates, and increased severity. It’s also not exclusive to COVID-19, these measurements can correlate to other illnesses associated with high levels of inflammation as well. 

To me, the story it tells is that a lot of iron is being stored in the body’s cells, and the iron can’t make it to the bloodstream. It’s like the iron is trapped inside with a guard blocking the cell door at all times. Any sort of getaway vehicle is just an escape fantasy dream.

Respiratory illnesses have risks for lowering blood oxygenation levels. I think these measurements reflect that in the effects of low blood iron levels and its impacts.

A Possible Helper?

Based on the measurements, the issue isn’t presenting as an outright lack of iron, though there are some similarities due to the lack of iron within the bloodstream. But since there’s so much iron being held in storage, and the added factor of hepcidin preventing absorption, supplementing iron wouldn’t seem to be the proper remedy. 

It’s also been found in cases with common ground on these measurements that oxygen itself doesn’t solve the underlying issue.  

To get into balance, we’d need to make alterations to more parts of the system.

Proposed Helper’s Measurements

The proposed helper in this case is none other than honey. The added benefits of honey work to treat the other iron-related markers as well. 

It lowers ferritin levels, and while hepcidin is correlated with ferritin levels it’s not fully caused by it. We know that hepcidin levels can also be high due to inflammation immune responses. The bonus of honey is that it’s an anti-inflammatory. The anti-inflammatory properties help to treat the issue that may be causing hepcidin to become overactive. 

There are also several other benefits that are linked to separate markers of covid severity. 

One risk factor has been correlated with low magnesium levels, and honey provides a small amount of it along with other electrolytes. 

The other electrolytes are potassium, calcium, and sodium, with potassium typically being the highest concentration. Electrolytes generally help during illness by helping our bodies stay hydrated and actually utilize the water we drink. It also helps our muscles, provides energy, and keeps our cells working in harmony. 

Zinc is another recommended mineral to up our intake of when dealing with covid infection, and yet again, honey contains a small amount of the mentioned remedy. 

Also as an antioxidant, honey helps the body to fight off sickness. Antioxidants help protect our cells and keep illnesses from progressing into further severity. 

Of course, it also has anti-microbial benefits too. In effect, it’ll help fight off the virus within the body and work to prevent it from growing and multiplying. 

In Conclusion…

Iron levels relating to illness was a concept that was new to me as a whole, and finding out the benefits of honey for iron imbalances was a fascinating rabbit hole. We’ve all heard of honey as a remedy and helper when fighting off illness, but knowing the way that it works (especially with iron) has helped me make sense of some of the reasoning for it. 

Given that this isn’t something we typically consume in large amounts, the proposed helper is just that: a helper. While it wouldn’t be a cure or treatment plan exactly, I feel like it could help with recovery and compliment other measures being taken to fight off a virus. To clarify, honey alone isn’t something I think is a means to an end here. Honey has some helpful ingredients and uses, though the scale is relatively small. My layperson’s ideas are relating more toward general maintenance and assisting the body during treatment.

A lot of the scientific findings regarding COVID-19 and iron levels are relatively new, and it’s always best to talk with your doctor rather than relying only on a proposed complimentary remedy. Even though it’s not a perfect cure or fix, learning about this has made me feel excited and hopeful for the advancement of our understanding on these aspects and connections.