Ever feel like you just can’t shake off that lingering fatigue even after recovering from COVID? You’re not alone. Millions of people experience long COVID, a frustrating collection of symptoms that persist long after the initial infection. Now, research from the University of Cambridge suggests a surprising culprit: low iron levels.
Sources of iron
Iron is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Iron is also important for growth, development, normal cellular functioning, and synthesis of some hormones and connective tissue.
We get iron from certain plant and animal foods, such as red meat and poultry. Plant-based sources contain non-heme iron, which is not absorbed as efficiently as the heme iron found in animal products.
However, you can enhance the absorption of non-heme iron by consuming it with vitamin C or with animal proteins. COVID can disrupt how the body manages iron, causing either iron deficiency or abnormal iron storage. This can make the infection worse and affect recovery.
Characteristics of long COVID
The researchers closely studied a group of 214 people for one year after they first experienced symptoms of COVID-19.
The experts analyzed various aspects of the participants’ health, including how much inflammation they had, how much iron was in their blood, how genes related to iron management were working, and how well red blood cells were being produced.
By comparing this information, the researchers were able to identify a specific set of characteristics of long-term COVID-19.
Inflammation and anemia
Many people involved in the study continued to have inflammation and signs of anemia, a condition where the body has fewer red blood cells, for up to a year.
Anemia can make people feel tired and weak because the body’s tissues do not get enough oxygen. This is a frequent complaint among people with long COVID.
The ongoing inflammation suggests that the body’s immune system is still active even though the initial infection is gone.
COVID and abnormal iron levels
The study revealed that individuals with long COVID had abnormal iron levels, suggesting an imbalance in how their bodies handle iron.
Additionally, the researchers identified changes in genes that control iron management, indicating that COVID-19 might disrupt these regulatory mechanisms.
This link implies that problems with iron management might play a role in how long COVID develops and how severe the symptoms become.
Low iron and COVID recovery
The study showed signs of a process called “stress erythropoiesis” in people with long COVID. This is when the body tries to quickly make more red blood cells in response to stress or inflammation, like an infection. The study suggests this process might not work properly in some people after a COVID-19 infection.
“If this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently, affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly,” said study co-author Hal Drakesmith from the University of Oxford. “The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”
The researchers noted that there could be a role for iron supplementation during the acute phase of COVID-19 infection, as well as a role as potential treatment for long COVID.
Symptoms of long COVID
The condition can cause a variety of health problems that last for months. Many people with long COVID experience extreme tiredness, even after they rest. They may also have trouble concentrating, remembering things, and focusing, which is sometimes called brain fog.
Other common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and difficulty doing activities that were easy before, like walking or climbing stairs. Individuals with long COVID may experience heart problems like heart palpitations, chest pain,…
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