Question

I do not always sleep well and even if I do, I seem to always have bloodshot & burning eyes. I do struggle with low iron and have been using a plant based liquid from the health food store but don”t always feel relief. Could this also be due to premenopause and or under active thyroid?

Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.

There are a few issues in your email.

  • Bloodshot and burning eyes
  • Insomnia
  • Low iron
  • Premenopause

Bloodshot and Burning Eyes can be a symptom of many things.

A B2 or Riboflavin deficiency can cause burning eyes. It is caused by poor intake of B2 or digestive disturbances which inhibit absorption.

Other symptoms of B2 deficiency might help to narrow it down for you.

  • Dry skin around nose and lips
  • Cracks or sores in corners of mouth
  • Bloodshot, red or itchy eyes
  • Cataracts
  • Eyes sensitive to light
  • Abnormal hair loss
  • Trembling
  • Painful, purple tongue
  • Inflamed scrotum
  • Dizziness

Dietary sources of B2 include leafy greens, brewer’s yeast, eggs, almonds and all nuts, fish, wheat germ, brussel sprouts.

Dry, red eyes can also be helped by adding more highly unsaturated fats to your diet, such as flax, avocado, hemp oil, and evening primrose oil (supplement form only) every day!
Increasing levels of essential fats, will not only improve dryness in your eyes – it will improve dryness throughout your body, in your arteries, your heart, brain and will help to improve immunity and nervous system functioning. Deficiency of essential fats causes the following symptoms:

  • Rough, dry, flaky or scaly skin
  • Dry, brittle hair
  • Eczema
  • Psoriasis
  • Poor memory
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Auto immune dysfunctions
  • Underactive stomach (which can impair digestion of essential nutrients!)
  • Increased menopausal symptoms
  • PMS

“I do not always sleep well”

Insomnia can also be caused by many factors, including poor assimilation or deficiency of magnesium.

Now we can see a pattern, because magnesium and the B vitamins work together.

Magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies, and directly causes insomnia, muscle cramps, irritability, low energy, tooth decay and fluid buildup.

Magnesium is probably more important than calcium, and is easily washed out with diuretics, including coffee and excess water intake.

Dairy products are very high in calcium, but low in magnesium. Long term dairy intake can lead to a deficiency of magnesium.

Deficiency of magnesium can cause the following symptoms:

  • muscle spasms
  • cravings for chocolate
  • gall stones
  • irregular heartbeat
  • excessive body odour
  • neck, shoulder and back pain
  • gastrointestinal disorders
  • muscle weakness
  • insomnia
  • ‘hangover’ symptoms

The best dietary sources of magnesium include all fresh, raw vegetables, seaweeds, and raw cocoa (raw chocolate powder), raw nuts and seeds.

“I do struggle with low iron and have been using a plant based liquid from the health food store but don’t always feel relief.”

It is not always a good idea to take iron supplements as iron can build to dangerous levels within your body, especially if you no longer menstruate. You might want to consult your physician about iron levels in your body. It is always better to take nutrients from raw food, so increasing iron rich raw plant foods is a better and more available source of iron.

High intakes of coffee, chocolate and colas can interfere with absorption of iron (and calcium). Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron.

Deficiency in iron causes the following symptoms:

  • lack of energy, fatigue
  • poor concentration

Iron rich plant foods include:

  • dried peaches
  • prunes
  • broccoli
  • egg yolk (never over cook your egg yolk, it damages essential fats and vitamins!)
  • raw nuts and seeds
  • beans and sprouts
  • asparagus
  • oatmeal

Your doctor can check levels of most nutrients, which will give you a definitive answer as to which deficiencies you really have.

Cleansing can help to correct any digestive disorders that may be affecting your ability to breakdown foods and absorb nutrients.

The Brown Rice Cleanse is the perfect cleanse to detoxify, while boosting nutrients. Free download available here: Cleanse Your Body

Smoothies made with raw green leafy vegetables and raw nuts will increase all levels of essential nutrients including magnesium, B2 and iron.

Try Cleansing Green Juice.

Another way to increase essential mineral and vitamin levels is to take a green food supplement every day. These are made from ground up whole plant foods, and are never synthesized in a lab.

It is important to eat foods raw as much as possible, to avoid damaging needed nutrients. These changes will help any symptoms caused by pre menopause, especially if you add hormone balancing foods like chick peas, red clover tea, berries of all kinds, leafy green vegetables and raw nuts and seeds to your diet on a regular basis.

Note: Using cast iron pans does not improve your iron intake because this is not the same type of iron. Iron from a pan is not biologically available like iron in a peach, which is surrounded and supported by cofactor nutrients like vitamin c. Nutrients are always better quality and more bioavailable from whole foods.

Reference:

Perrault, Danielle. (2001) Nutritional Symptomatology. Richmond Hill, Ontario: CSNN Publishing.

I hope this information helps. Please let us know what changes you have made and how you are making out by commenting below this post.