Rinad (@rinadwithanr) and I wrote an essay about iron deficiency! It came out of a broader project we’ve been working on surrounding “low-hanging fruit” in improving general health and wellbeing. The problems we’ll address impact many people and their quality of life. In many cases, they tend to be measurable, treatable, and strangely under-served or neglected by the broader healthcare system. Iron deficiency really stood out here, particularly in women. It’s incredibly common, can affect how you feel and function well before you’re technically anemic, and yet often isn’t caught because routine bloodwork doesn’t actually measure iron stores. (Lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of discussion re: iron deficiency on Twitter, and I’m glad more people are talking about it!) We looked at how iron deficiency actually works, why ferritin matters, how prevalent it is, what the evidence says about its effects on fatigue, cognition and physical performance, why it so often goes undetected, and what the evidence says about treatment. This is the first piece in a larger body of work we’re developing on overlooked-yet-surprisingly-tractable problems in health—particularly in women’s health, longevity, and quality of life. More coming soon! In the meantime, get your ferritin checked and read what we’ve put together. Substack link below! And if any of this is an area you’re working on or thinking about, DM me or Rinad—we’d love to discuss :)