One in three young Australian women don’t have enough iron stored. And if you’ve ever been told your ferritin is normal while feeling exhausted, breathless on the stairs and unable to recover from training, a brand new international guideline suggests your result may not be normal at all.

This week on The Nutrition Couch, Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell unpack the latest iron data, put the new wave of high-protein cereals to the test, and answer your berberine questions once and for all.

Your ferritin might not be as normal as you think
New data released for Iron Awareness Week shows iron deficiency is still one of the biggest issues for Australian women, and Leanne reveals which age group is hit hardest (it’s probably not who you’d expect). She explains the new American Society of Hematology guideline that more than doubles the ferritin cut-off for diagnosing iron deficiency, why women with heavy periods may need to aim even higher, and what to ask your GP if your levels have been sitting in the teens for years. Plus the everyday habits that quietly block iron absorption.

High-protein cereals: worth it or just clever marketing?
Susie is surprisingly open to them. Leanne isn’t convinced 15 grams gets you anywhere near enough. Hear the ingredient checks to make before you buy, why most women need closer to 30 grams of protein at breakfast, and easy ways to turn a bowl of cereal into a meal that actually keeps you full until lunch.

$11.90 for frozen chocolate raspberries?
The hosts review Bomberry’s chocolate-coated raspberries, the realistic serve size (spoiler: nobody eats three), and Susie’s favourite 90-calorie ice cream swap.

Is berberine really nature’s Ozempic?
What the research actually shows for blood sugar, cholesterol and weight loss, who might benefit, and why you won’t find it in the Designed by Dietitians range.

If someone you know is always tired, send them this episode. It could be the nudge they need to get their iron checked.

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