Pyroluria with low copper?

[PeterPositive]

Interesting stuff, although I wished they would avoid generalizations such as... "There is no such thing as medical disease...". If only it were that simple!

Anyways, thanks for the interesting info. I have problems with zinc levels with elevated HPL and also have lowish copper and manganese.

 

[CCC]

Best way we've found for copper need is to lick a copper tablet. If it tastes disgusting, we don't need any. If it tastes neutral or like a lolly, then it's time to take some.

 

[Johnmac]

Last time iron studies were done:

Total iron binding capacity: 47 (45-72)
Transferrin saturation: 36% (22-55)

I'm presuming the TIBC was what you wanted?

I got a bad copper deficiency with pyroluria, from supplementing too much zinc. Took 2-4 weeks of Cu supplementation to fix it.

To quote a recent email from a PhD biochemist friend: "High pyroles can come from when you are trying to insert iron into the pyrrole ring to make heme. If there is no iron the pyroles are excreted from the cell and you get high pyrroles."

 

[aquariusgirl]

To quote a recent email from a PhD biochemist friend: "High pyroles can come from when you are trying to insert iron into the pyrrole ring to make heme. If there is no iron the pyroles are excreted from the cell and you get high pyrroles."[/QUOTE]


Yes so what is screwing w/our iron ? Bacteria gobbling it up or ceruloplasmin is screwed up or what?

 

[Johnmac]

Don't know, apart from vegetarianism & veganism in some: heme iron has 10 times the uptake of non-animal iron.

Probably that we haven't given it the attention it deserves:

B2 is essential to iron uptake, & many (especially low-dairy) people have little B2.

And of course taking your iron with C doubles heme iron uptake. (I'd guess the fresh meat our forebears ate had plenty of C in it, but ours doesn't.)

And a lack of appreciation of just how much iron we need - especially pre-menopausal women, who need 18mg/day. E.g. 100g of beef will give you only 3mg: after lunch, you've still got 15 to go.

And that organ meats have sadly gone out of fashion. (100g of liver gives you 11mg.)

And that iron (like B12) loads slowly onto receptors - there are no quick fixes. That applies on a daily basis also: 'little & often' is best.

Taken similtaneously with iron, talcium, legumes, cereals & tannin interfere with iron uptake.

And our reliance on medical 'normal' ranges. E.g. ferritin above 15 is supposed to be normal: actually ferritin probably should be over 100. So we don't spot the problem. A lot of times fatigue in people with ferritin above 15 improves with iron supplementation or infusion.