What is Air hunger? It’s a feeling of suffocation, or a need to take deep breaths. Air hunger can be caused by many things, including low iron in the body.
Iron deficiency is a common cause of air hunger. Iron deficiency can lead to oxygen deficiency and low iron diet repercussions. This can lead to anemia and fatigue, which are symptoms that people often mistake for air hunger caused by potentially other factors.
Iron Poor Blood Could Contribute to Air Hunger
The best way to avoid air hunger is by eating more iron-rich foods like red meat, leafy greens, beans and whole grains.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. It affects about 1 billion people worldwide and it’s more common in women than men. Iron deficiency can cause anemia, which leads to a lack of energy and difficulty concentrating.
Iron deficiency is reportedly more common in menstruating females but must not be overlooked in those practicing a vegetarian or vegan diet and the elderly of either sex. Obvious issues like blood loss, overdosing on nSAIDS over a long period of time, heavy menstruation and other blood lowering issues like diagnosed anemia are reasons to get on an iron boosting protocol. Air hunger is a very good possibility caused by anemia.
Quality B complex vitamins using methylcobalamin B12 is known to improve red blood cells and a must for everyone even if not suffering from air hunger.
Covid Side Effect?
Before we delve further into the aspect of iron deficiency or iron poor blood, I want to address a current important possibility for air hunger and that is the virus. I have done extensive research on this subject and a common symptom has been shortness of breath. It is important to get your iron levels blood tested before proceeding.
I cannot stress this enough! You do not want to be randomly going down the wrong road. The iron deficiency protocols I will be presenting are completely natural so not something to worry about but if you employ random therapeutics for the other road and wind up in the hospital, it could get very bad. Get a blood test and take the guesswork out of this!
I believe that other factors may be overlooked or just now being researched that delve into iron deficiency issues. Studies are showing that phytates from otherwise good sources of iron can be negated due to these irritants hiding in grains and vegetables. Phytates are protective substances within these foods that preserve the plant and discourage animals from feeding upon. Phytates can disrupt digestion of nutrients and cause stomach upset in some people.
Ciliacs and IBD sufferers along with SIBO and leaky gut patients may be amongst those who do not tolerate phytates well. Research also shows that cooking or steaming these foods can reduce the amount of phytates and improve digestibility. The point here is to delve into absorption issues with certain foods and consider how to improve or substitute for a more absorbable alternative. Bad gut flora and permeability is like trying to bail out a sinking boat with a cup. Get the nutrients into the cells and watch air hunger fade away.
Read our report covering organ meats high in B vitamins, A and other nutrients
B Vitamin Deficiency Points to Air Hunger
One of the known factors believed to cause iron poor blood is a lack of B complex vitamins in the diet. B vitamins are essential and most notably B12 for creating healthy blood cells in conjunction with iron. B vitamins are water soluble with no danger of overdosing in large quantities. They are also washed out of the system daily so re-supply is required every day through diet and or supplementation. The methyl version called methylcobalomin is the most natural and absorbable version when supplementing.
Taking antacids and eating poor, over processed foods, can alter the gut acidity making it too alkaline for good nutrient absorption. We need a ph of around two or three in the digestive tract and yet another reason why iron and other nutrients do not get absorbed well if too alkaline. Remember to take vitamin C with iron foods or supplements as this boosts your ability to assimilate. Apple cider vinegar also promotes good gut ph so consider taking a spoonful each morning.
I have a few genetic mutations as do millions of other people that create absorption challenges with Folic acid to vitamin D and other issues. We may not know everything we cannot absorb well and rely on trial and error or negative results. My list of mutations were identified from DNA testing with one of the family tree services online. I don’t know if I recommend due to lack of privacy so decide for yourself on this but it does pinpoint your genetic mutations.
Blood Type Diet May Combat Air Hunger
It may be beneficial to check your blood type and look into reference materials and books that correlate diet and recommended foods for your type. I believe there is merit in this approach and at least gives you a guideline to work from.
You may notice or be one of those people that can eat anything with no issues. Some genetically gifted individuals seem to be able to breath air and remain healthy and fit. I am not a believer in “Airtarianism” or people that claim to get their nutrients only from air. I have read accounts of these people but each one smacks of BS so I am openly stating to not even go down that rabbit hole.
To my point, some people can extract nutrients like a sponge from even low nutrient, low quality foods while others like myself, can’t seem to eat perfect enough to overcome digestion shortfall. Admittedly, As a senior now and maybe not accepting this aging change. I am active and have a creative mind like I have had as a young man.
I stay in good physical shape and expect to be like a thirty year old I guess. I find it fascinating in my journey to understand the body and health that it could all boil down to nutrient absorption or lack thereof in the aging process. It appears that as long as we can find a way to absorb nutrition, we will fight off much of the aging degradation process!
Low Oxygenated Blood = Air Hunger
So, getting back to air hunger and its cause, I suspect for many like myself, it is brought on by poorly oxygenated blood from lack of iron and potentially other nutrients.
Over the past couple of months, I have been eating tons of steamed vegetables and wrote an article on how incredibly tasty the steaming process makes them. I also believe that you will get more vitamin and mineral availability by steaming and can feel the benefit after a couple of months in some ways. I am getting more folate and other vitamins and minerals that were missing in my diet without veggies. The issue is that I have unintentionally cut back severely on animal protein and only eating very minimal amounts.
In the last week or so, I have developed a bit of air hunger and taking deep breaths when dozing off and requiring daily naps and more sleep overall. The air hunger issue in my opinion and case is based on a lack of heme iron. Heme iron is the most absorbable type of iron that does not require metabolic processes for use like vegetable iron and can only be derived from animals.
Since I went back to the carnivore diet, mostly animal meats, my air hunger has subsided. The high heme iron and B vitamins indicate to me that this was the culprit for my air hunger. I also take DMG, dimethyl glycine, that is known to help oxygenate the blood.
Vegan Diet Often Leads to B Vitamin and Iron Deficiency
Once again, there will be lots of folks out there that will have no issues at all eating vegan but somebody like me will suffer greatly. This absorption thing began after sixty for those wondering and suspect that this is how it goes until we check out. The mission is to find ways to get around the problem!
Iron can be supplemented but there are pros and cons and should be researched on an individual basis and consulted about with a qualified doctor. My approach is to attack it with the most natural form of heme iron in the largest quantity and that’s by ingesting liver! MMMM, your favorite, right?
The Top Superfood May be the Answer
I grew up with a mother that cooked beef liver once a week so I had to develop a tolerance. I didn’t mind it when it was smothered in onions and to this day, get a taste for it every few weeks. The problem is that most people, including myself, cannot eat liver very often because of the taste and frankly, it may not be totally advisable to eat large amounts too often.
There is speculation that the high vitamin A content could become toxic if too much is consumed but this is a myth that never seems to go away. This is why natural foods are the way to go because it is true that vitamin A can become toxic but from artificial supplementation and not real food. There is some evidence that polar bear and seal livers could be lethal with incredible levels of A but you won’t be getting them at your local Kroger’s anytime soon so no need to worry.
Liver is simply the most nutritionally dense food on the planet. All organ meats are super high in nearly all nutrients. We suggest avoiding brains since they can harbor nasty toxins like mad cow disease. You can enjoy liver from beef, chicken, lamb, cod, bison and more.
Beef liver is overall the highest in nutrients and most accessible from your local market but there is a caveat and possibly a very important one. Most beef liver at your market is from gmo, non-grass fed cows that can harbor some bad toxins in their livers. Granted you are not eating the insides of the liver per se, the chances of toxins are high in any gmo beef parts including muscle meat but particularly the liver. When I said that eating too much liver could be detrimental, I meant eating too much poor quality liver.
Caveats When Eating Liver
I was on a liver kick several years ago while doing serious bodybuilding and was eating the Norm’s liver special a few times a week. It was something like 6 bucks and certainly not high grade. I probably ate over 30 oz the week I became ill with what turned out to be pericarditis or inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart. This condition is believed to come from a virus or infection and mimics a heart attack and very painful and dangerous.
The fact of the matter is that the medical industry knows very little about this phenomenon but needs to get a handle on it now, especially with this being a side effect of the vaxx! The doctors actually told me that they were going to place a stent into an artery before they even did any tests! I told them in no uncertain terms that they were definitely not going to do this and pointed out that they did no testing!
There was no further mention of doing a procedure and I kept telling them that it felt like a toxic reaction and not a heart issue. After a couple of days laying in hospital bed, they released me saying they had no idea what it was and to take some Advil! I had to do my own research to determine that it was indeed pericarditis or myocarditis. Both forms of inflammation of either the tissue surrounding the heart or the heart itself. My point is that eating low grade liver may be very risky and I will not do it any longer. I believe I got a virus or infection from the liver but will never know for sure.
Liver Alternatives
I had been taking the desiccated liver pills but forgot over the past few months and probably why I developed air hunger and iron poor blood. I resumed taking about ten tablets per day a week ago and this amounts to around six ounces of liver per week.
Although I have been touting beef liver to this point, I strongly suggest everyone, especially beginners to organ meats, try some chicken livers! I should have started with trying chicken livers in this article because its taste is milder and the nutrient profile is nearly as good as beef liver!
In fact, the vitamin A level is substantially lower than beef but still hundreds of percent of RDA instead of thousands in beef! High in all the B vitamins, iron and even C! I strongly suggest that you try chicken liver and it’s also no problem to eat every day if you want! Soak them in lemon juice while sautéing a pan of butter, garlic, onions, capers and parsley then throw in the livers and cook until pink in the middle. Takes about ten minutes or so altogether and it is deelicious!!!
Desiccated Liver for Massive B Complex, Iron and Vitamin A
BTW, Keep this just between the two of us…one lb of chicken liver cost less than two bucks and is one of the most nutritious foods you could eat on earth! You can thank me later….
Perfect Desiccated Liver – 120 Capsules (Pack of 2)
I am already feeling less out of breath and will not forget to eat meat or animal protein again! I will be eating tuna, sardines, shrimp, beef patties, salmon, and of course, liver, for the animal protein and heme iron. In addition to the animal muscle and organ meat, I will be taking the grass fed non gmo Argentinian liver caps,
I started back with grass-fed high-grade beef and chicken liver. within the past week. I will do a report on this when I get into it further and let you know the results. From what I have researched, it could take a couple months or so to see the full benefits but it depends on how severe the iron deficiency is.
Low Ferritin a Possibility but Get a Blood Test First
My mother had taken massive amounts of Advil before we determined that she had Alzheimer’s and became very ill from blood loss and hospitalized. They were considering blood transfusions, but she was so out of control that I think that they just wanted her out of the hospital and sent her home with me. It turned out she had lost so much blood that her doctor said he could not understand how she was alive! It was below the threshold of sustaining life, and he attributed it to her slowly losing it and adapting.
She may also have become a zombie, but my point is that the doctor prescribed the basic over the counter ferritin iron in a medium dose and by the next visit a week later, her iron level and blood was back in the normal range! Incredible and the doctor was again amazed that she went from empty to full in a week! So, if you are low on iron, it could very well be a week to a few months apparently based on not only severity but your metabolic bounce back capacity.
Embrace the liver! Whether desiccated pill form or a grass fed non gmo serving of chicken, beef or other animal liver. It will flood your body with nutrients and super charge your blood with iron! Oh yeah, you can take a deep breath now and forget about air hunger!
