Physical health · Sanctum

Low iron, vitamin D and B12

Persistently low iron or ferritin, low vitamin D, B12 or folate, quietly deepening the fatigue, the low mood and the trouble concentrating, and never quite resolving however often it is topped up.

These deficiencies turn up often in this group, and they matter, because the brain runs on them. Low iron in particular is tied to attention and to restless sleep, so a depleted body makes a neurodivergent brain work even harder. The shortfall is both a consequence of the wider picture and something that worsens it.

Because levels get checked and corrected in isolation, the link to focus, mood and sleep is rarely drawn, and people are left wondering why they feel flat even when the bloods are said to be fine.

We look at the nutritional picture as part of the whole, because what the body is short of shapes how the brain performs. None of this is a diagnosis, and we are not here to replace your other doctors. It is what we explore with you.

Written by Dr Asad RaffiConsultant Psychiatrist · Founder & Medical Director