Talking iron deficiency (and more) with Dr Libby Weaver

When nutritional biochemist and thirteen-time bestselling author, Dr Libby (PhD) speaks, I listen – and I have done for nigh on eighteen years. Our personal history goes back almost as far, after I met her at award-winning Australian wellness destination, Gwinganna during my first ever visit. The now-household name was then poised to make the move to Aotearoa, open a clinic and publish her first book, and almost twenty years later she is rightly celebrated as one of Australasia’s most trusted voices when it comes to health and wellness.
Now based back in Australia and with her own supplement company, Bio Blends (I’ve been a customer since day one, no secret there!), she was recently back in Aotearoa to do press for her latest book, Fix Iron First: the one thing that changes everything and I jumped at the chance to chat. When we meet this time it’s at Ponsonby clean eating hotspot Little Bird Kitchen, and she is still as passionate, kind and effusive as ever. Before we get down to business she takes the time to check in on my health, life updates and more, before the subject of iron enters the chat and I am immediately locked in for the ride.
“I actually started writing a book about perimenopause at the beginning of last year,” the inspiring wellness expert tells me over coffee, “but when I was 65,000 words into it I sat back and realised I’d devoted the first 11,000 of those to iron deficiency. At that moment I saw that I needed to write a book solely about iron – I still wanted to speak to perimenopausal women, but it soon became much more than that.”

She goes on to talk about how iron deficiency is widely known to hit women around the same time as they start menstruating, “but it’s become a huge problem for children too. Iron is so essential to so many processes in the body, and it is vital to energy levels, neurotransmitter production, thyroid function and so much more”. We go on to discuss the fact that iron deficiency in teenage girls has been linked to rising anxiety levels, with the influence of often-questionable social media diet peddlers and poor food choices and the like playing a very real role in that. There is also the issue of blood test results, which can often show a person is very much at the lower end of the accepted spectrum but still “within range, so many GPs don’t see what as any real cause for concern”.
“Too many women tell me they’re iron deficient, and in many cases, have been for years,” she says, lamenting the fact that “they seem resigned to it, highlighting just how underestimated the impact of low iron actually is. Iron is crucial for energy, thyroid function, detoxification, metabolic rate, anxiety prevention and mood regulation. Your thyroid literally requires iron to make its hormones, and the production of key neurotransmitters like dopamine (motivation) and GABA (calming) rely on it. It’s no wonder we don’t feel our best when our levels are inadequate – the consequences are significant.”
In Fix Iron First, Dr Libby explores how iron deficiency develops, and its impact across life stages from pregnancy and birth to adulthood, as well as the most effective ways to restore optimal levels. She also examines the role of iron supplements, explaining why some are constipating, how to avoid this, and why fixing iron first is a fundamental step toward better overall health. “People are often so surprised about what else resolves when their iron levels become optimal, hence why I chose this title for the book,” she adds.

When it came to creating a solution to iron deficiency to sit under her Bio Blends brand, she admits that finding the perfect source of iron was a lengthy and expensive process. After exhaustive research she created Iconic Iron, which is now a non-negotiable in my household. Over five years in development, the pioneering plant food-sourced iron supplement has superior absorption without the common side effects that often put people off taking them, and it has been a runaway hit. Formulated with ferritin iron from organic peas, Iconic Iron is a gut-friendly, non-constipating solution with clinically supported bioavailability, its unique absorption mechanism helping overcome many of the common challenges associated with maintaining healthy iron levels. It’s great for teens, women with heavy periods, those in their perimenopausal transition, as well as runners and endurance athletes. Plus, it’s a great support for parents who suspect iron deficiency might be playing a role in their child’s health picture, with fussy eating, poor sleep, delayed development and some behaviour challenges linked to low iron.
Our chat – naturally – turns to menopause and perimenopause, which have become major headline grabbers over the last few years. I comment that the heightened profile of a women’s health issue is fantastic, but that the information overload can be overwhelming – and scary. She agrees, adding that she’s also concerned that “when any woman between 38 and 55 experiences any kind of health issue or discomfort, it’s immediately diagnosed as a symptom of perimenopause – and it may not be”. This can lead to other conditions or deficiencies being completely missed as a result, and women’s fears amplified as the situation remains unresolved. “It could be insulin resistance, a thyroid deficiency or fatty liver disease, but the symptoms are being immediately attributed to perimenopause. We’re not treating the thing that has gone awry, and women could go on to live with that unresolved for the rest of their lives.”
But that’s a story for another day - and hopefully another date with the incredible Libby!

If you’re keen to explore the subject more, Fix Iron First is available now from drlibby.com and leading bookstores, while Iconic Iron can be found at bioblends.com