Anemia?

[Beatrix_]

The problem is if I were to limit my food choices to foods I tolerate or foods that do not cause me issues I would starve.

I hear you, I know too well what you mean.

Mind you some people say gelatin has sulphite and I eat this daily.

I have two suggestions that you might consider:
1) perhaps having gelatin every other day
and/or
2) adding glutamine to your regimen which in addition to resolving food intolerances can also boost RBC and WBC count. People generally take from 1 to many grams daily, I settled for 300 milligrams daily when I begun taking it regularly back in 2020 and nowadays I take it from 1x to 3x weekly in my morning lemon water.

In my case I found glutamine very beneficial for kidney function.

 

[Peatress]

I hear you, I know too well what you mean.

I have two suggestions that you might consider:
1) perhaps having gelatin every other day
and/or
2) adding glutamine to your regimen which in addition to resolving food intolerances can also boost RBC and WBC count. People generally take from 1 to many grams daily, I settled for 300 milligrams daily when I begun taking it regularly back in 2020 and nowadays I take it from 1x to 3x weekly in my morning lemon water.

In my case I found glutamine very beneficial for kidney function.

I used to use glutamine, back in the day before peating. To be honest if I am eating meat (which I need for the iron) I don't think glutamine is necessary. Although 300mg is a reasonable amount and shouldn't cause issues glutamine supplements is not really "peaty" in general.

Glutamic Acid Doubles Prolactin And Cortisol In Humans

" Too much glutamine acid, aspartic acid and cysteine can be directly cytotoxic, and the metabolites of cysteine include proinflammatory homocysteine, which can disrupt collagen structure." Ray Peat's January 2001 newsletter.

 

[Beatrix_]

I used to use glutamine, back in the day before peating. To be honest if I am eating meat (which I need for the iron) I don't think glutamine is necessary. Although 300mg is a reasonable amount and shouldn't cause issues glutamine supplements is not really "peaty" in general.

Glutamic Acid Doubles Prolactin And Cortisol In Humans

" Too much glutamine acid, aspartic acid and cysteine can be directly cytotoxic, and the metabolites of cysteine include proinflammatory homocysteine, which can disrupt collagen structure." Ray Peat's January 2001 newsletter.

It just occurred to me that your consistent gelatin intake could be creating a glutamine deficit, but of course it might or might not be the case.

I have frequently made the mistake myself of taking too much or too long of a good thing and turning it into a bad thing. A normal meat intake might not be enough considering a supplemental glycine intake. Of course I could be on the wrong track - it is just that I have observed the booster effect of glutamine on my blood cells before.

With all your glycine intake you would hardly overdo the glutamine at a reasonable dosage, the key is to find the balance between these two aminos.

Additionally, Hcy levels depend on the balance between many nutrients, and in my personal experience Zn supplementation was the most sustainable way to keep my levels below 8 μmol/L (Zn is a co-factor of the BHMT enzyme).

Disclaimer - I am not trying to convince you that I am right, just brainstorming based on what have worked for me.

 

[Peatress]

It just occurred to me that your consistent gelatin intake could be creating a glutamine deficit, but of course it might or might not be the case.

I have frequently made the mistake myself of taking too much or too long of a good thing and turning it into a bad thing. A normal meat intake might not be enough considering a supplemental glycine intake. Of course I could be on the wrong track - it is just that I have observed the booster effect of glutamine on my blood cells before.

With all your glycine intake you would hardly overdo the glutamine at a reasonable dosage, the key is to find the balance between these two aminos.

Additionally, Hcy levels depend on the balance between many nutrients, and in my personal experience Zn supplementation was the most sustainable way to keep my levels below 8 μmol/L (Zn is a co-factor of the BHMT enzyme).

Disclaimer - I am not trying to convince you that I am right, just brainstorming based on what have worked for me.

30gs of gelatin is not a lot. Gelatin cannot create a glutamine deficit.

I eat oysters so I don't supplement zinc - in fact I've been worried I make be getting too much zinc. I've noticed a slight taste disturbance after eating them lately.

Thank you for brainstorming - disclaimer not needed

 

[Beatrix_]

30gs of gelatin is not a lot. Gelatin cannot create a glutamine deficit.

I eat oysters so I don't supplement zinc - in fact I've been worried I make be getting too much zinc. I've noticed a slight taste disturbance after eating them lately.

Thank you for brainstorming - disclaimer not needed

A copper deficit could indeed be at the root of your issues, I remember that you were on this clue already.
I think that Rooibos and nettle teas could supply trace amounts of Cu, in addition to a copper mug, if you are trying to avoid supplementation.

 

[Peatress]

A copper deficit could indeed be at the root of your issues, I remember that you were on this clue already.
I think that Rooibos and nettle teas could supply trace amounts of Cu, in addition to a copper mug, if you are trying to avoid supplementation.

I didn't think a can of oysters a week would cause problems with copper unless I was low in copper before I started eating oysters. I found this thread quite helpful.

Oysters, copper, graying and allergies

So for some context, last winter my hair started shedding really bad near the front of my hairline. I figured i may be zinc deficient so i started eating oysters everyday and I did a bunch of peat stuff and it started growing back. Upon growing back though, it grew in blonde at first, and then...

raypeatforum.com

I just need to find where to test RBC copper level and ceruloplasmin. Pointless asking my doctor. I'm not going to assume I have a copper deficiency without testing but I think it's plausible.

If so I will supplement. I used to drink rooibos, can't remember why I stopped. Might be something to do with hormones. Nettle I can do, thanks.

 

[Beatrix_]

I just need to find where to test RBC copper level and ceruloplasmin. Pointless asking my doctor. I'm not going to assume I have a copper deficiency without testing but I think it's plausible.

A couple of years ago I tested low for serum copper and found it very reliable because copper supplementation helped a lot. It was easy to maintain the levels up after 1-2 months of supplementation, but unfeasible to correct it with food only.
The mais improvements I saw were better sleep, no more getting up to urinate in the middle of the night, resolution of a lower back pain that was diagnosed as dehydration of a vertebral disk (but I suspect some demyelination in that area) and better hair.

Thanks for the link, I will check it out!

 

[AlaskaJono]

If one is worried about copper deficiency, then just buy a copper water bottle and drink from that. Or buy a copper pot, put water in it overnight and drink from that. Copper pot doubles as a pot- wow - to make delicious food too!
Or get some seaweed from ? some pure land that is not so expensive, (OK - that is a joke unfortutely) and sprinkle it into whatever soups or stews you make.
Because of the current intense dumping of radioactive water from Japan, ie - fukushima Daichi #3, I would buy pacific seaweed now, to eat over the next few years. I just collect seaweed and put it into our garden, so that it breaks down/goes into the soil, and is uptaken by the veggies.

 

[Peatress]

A copper deficiency is yet to be confirmed. My WBC was much lower before I started eating oysters regularly.

 

[Kyle970]

WBC are overall on the lowish end, though not at an alarming level by any means. Many things can cause this including B6, B12, folate deficiency, chronic infection or parasites and more rarely hepatitis. Other that are possible include adrenal dysfunction, parathyroid hyperfunction, multiple food allergies. Since b12 and folate look ok (though functional deficiency can't be ruled out), I would look at possible stealth infections. If you have recently done a gut cleanse, that makes chronic low-grade infection less likely and further detective work would

WBC are overall on the lowish end, though not at an alarming level by any means. Many things can cause this including B6, B12, folate deficiency, chronic infection or parasites and more rarely hepatitis. Other that are possible include adrenal dysfunction, parathyroid hyperfunction, multiple food allergies. Since b12 and folate look ok (though functional deficiency can't be ruled out), I would look at possible stealth infections. If you have recently done a gut cleanse, that makes chronic low-grade infection less likely and further detective work would need to be done.

Go on please, and some broad examples of your remedies are?
(Beyond more tests)
Which "gut cleanse" are you referring to?
Thx

 

[chrstn4o]

Go on please, and some broad examples of your remedies are?
(Beyond more tests)
Which "gut cleanse" are you referring to?
Thx

I would eat a lot of liver in these cases, organic of course. A bit every day. Gut cleanse means using any combination of the various anti-fungal/bacterial/parasitic herbs out there for a a couple of weeks to cull the populations if you know what I mean. I also use probiotics in most cases and have only had good results so far with them, even if the only effect they are having is to crowd out more pathogenic organisms.

 

[Kyle970]

Red Blood Cells
Haemoglobin	116 g/L (Range: 115 - 155)
Haematocrit	0.356 (Range: 0.33 - 0.45)
Red Cell Count	4.44 x10^12/L (Range: 3.95 - 5.15)
MCV	80.4 fL (Range: 80 - 99)
MCH	L 25.9 pg (Range: 27 - 33.5)
MCHC	322 g/L (Range: 300 - 350)
RDW	14.0 (Range: 11.5 - 15)
White Blood Cells
White Cell Count	4.44 x10^9/L (Range: 3 - 10)
Neutrophils	2.42 x10^9/L (Range: 2 - 7.5)
Lymphocytes	1.68 x10^9/L (Range: 1.2 - 3.65)
Monocytes	0.30 x10^9/L (Range: 0.2 - 1)
Eosinophils	0.03 x10^9/L (Range: 0 - 0.4)
Basophils	0.02 x10^9/L (Range: 0 - 0.1)
Iron Status
Iron	11.5 umol/L (Range: 6.6 - 26)
TIBC	45 umol/L (Range: 41 - 77)
Transferrin Saturation	26 % (Range: 20 - 55)
Ferritin	73 ug/L (Range: 13 - 150)
Vitamin B12 - Active	H >255.0 pmol/L (Range: 25.1 - 165)
Folate - Serum	14.6 ug/L
Clotting Status
Platelet Count	325 x10^9/L (Range: 150 - 400)
MPV	10.3 fL (Range: 7 - 13)

Is there anything in this test to explain delayed healing? Would it be helpful to raise my iron and haemoglobin?

Your numbers look alot better than mine always have. Oncolo always said "benign" but I was never sure of that. Leukopenia is what I've heard. When I searched on here, the user yeah seemed to have good info on cell counts. My two cents, intestine is a big factor.
Have you made sure you're not ingesting something that effects this? Something silly I've been doing is eating beets to improve bile, now I see it on a list of food that can lower cell count. There's also a list of all common medications/chemicals I've googled that lower counts and its long!

 

[Kyle970]

@chrstn4o
Will look into this, thx

 

[Peatress]

Your numbers look alot better than mine always have. Oncolo always said "benign" but I was never sure of that. Leukopenia is what I've heard. When I searched on here, the user yeah seemed to have good info on cell counts. My two cents, intestine is a big factor.
Have you made sure you're not ingesting something that effects this? Something silly I've been doing is eating beets to improve bile, now I see it on a list of food that can lower cell count. There's also a list of all common medications/chemicals I've googled that lower counts and its long!

Probably dairy. Like I said previously my wbc was much worse. The only thing that is new is that perviously Eosinophils and Basophils were zero - now I have a small reading.

 

[Peatress]

Vitamin E depletes liver iron stores

I've read people discussing on this forum about whether Vitamin E actually depletes live iron stores or only protects against its damage (ferroptosis) . This study is pretty clear on what's going on: Vitamin E depletes liver iron stores (in mice), which is shown through a bunch of blood markers...

raypeatforum.com

 

[maillol]

+1 on the copper from me because of the low WBCs.

 

[Peatress]

+1 on the copper from me because of the low WBCs.

Thank you. I postponed testing for now because I didn't want to go to get a blood test whilst the vaccines are being given.

 

[Kyle970]

@maillol which form of copper do you like?

 

[maillol]

@maillol which form of copper do you like?

I've only used copper glycinate but not enough to say anything certain about it.

 

[Peatress]

“Biotin and vitamin B6 and panthenic acid and selenium and copper are things that are among the first to become deficient if you try to run on too much coffee and sugar and not enough food.” Ray Peat

“In dogs and horses, many years ago, they saw that dogs and horses both suffered spinal nerve compression and paralysis of the rear legs was a common result from a compression of the spinal cord. They found that a copper deficiency was responsible, and keeping horses indoors, eating dry hay was considered responsible for the copper deficiency. But the absence of light is one of the things that makes your respiratory enzymes lose its necessary copper. So the combination of darkness and possibly a copper deficiency in the diet will cause an energy failure, leading to a swelling of the connective tissues, leading to the pinching of the nerves.” Ray Peat