F30 Life dependent on supplementation
I follow a very conscious diet of whole foods and animal sources, with focus on protein and fiber. I limit processed food and cook at home everyday. My bloodwork shows that my body is responsive to supplementing but once I get into the adequate range and stop supplementing, I become deficient again, quite rapidly. This applies to: Ferritin, Copper, Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 & Folate.
Despite persistent symptoms that correlate with these vitamin and mineral deficiencies, my healthcare team is not helpful in finding the cause of this chronic malabsorption; everything that has been tested has been at my insistence, from personal research.
3 years ago I got an upper endoscopy that showed slight inflammation but no H. pylori or celiac from biopsy, along with a 2cm hiatal hernia. A few months before that I did a GI map that tested positive for several bacteria that correlate with SIBO and H. pylori was present in small amounts, I've not retested after treatment with ND.
Currently, I take Betaine HCL w pepsin before my protein heavy meals, don't drink during meals. After repleting ferritin stores to 60ug and ceasing supplementation, retesting 12 weeks later shows it dropped 21 points to 39ug. Copper was 61mcg and Zinc was 67mcg, 12 weeks later after copper supplementation for 10 weeks, retest levels of Copper is 82mcg and Zinc 42mcg. B12 yo-yos between high 200s and low 500s dependent on supplements, at lowest I had to get injections once a week and never broke above 550. Vitamin D dips to low 20ngs and only with active supplementation can it be maintained in the 50s. I highlight these because the symptoms I experience align with these deficiencies.
I really want to get to the bottom of this and figure out why I'm unable to pull nutrients from the nutrient dense food I eat, and hopefully not have to supplement for the rest of my life. Is there any test or courses of action I can take to rule out something that I must be missing?
Posted May 13, 2026, 6:26 PM UTC