How often have we heard mothers or doctors advise their kids or patients to eat iron-rich food? Often, we wonder why a mineral is so necessary for our body and how we will ensure its enough supply. Today in this blog, we will discuss everything necessary about IRON.
Do you know; one-fourth of Iron is reserved as ferritin, which is stored in cells and circulates in blood? In males, usually, 1gram of Iron is stored, and in females, about 300 mg. For males, this quantity is enough reserve for three years while it lasts about six months only in females.
Foods and liquids to avoid:
The International Center for Control of Nutritional Anemia, in cooperation with the University Of Kansa Medical Center, discovered the following foods interfere with the absorption of Iron in your body. So try to avoid eating or drinking these food products. Then after you know this information, find out also what foods containing Iron you should be eating.
Don’t drink tea or coffee with your meat meals or within one hour after your meal. They can reduce the absorption of Iron from 40 to 66%. Coffee consumption at least one hour before a meal does not inhibit iron absorption. If you like tea, try some herbal tea to get more Iron and add some honey to change its taste.
Don’t eat soy flour products or soy products. It contains both enhancing and inhibiting iron factors. It is best not to use these products. Soy products now are mostly Genetically Modified, and there are still questions about their safety. Most foods containing Iron are not Genetically Modified.
Avoid eating legumes
Avoid eating legumes, such as soybeans, black beans, lentils, split peas, and mung beans. They only allow 1-2% of the Iron they contain to be absorbed. Most vegetables allow only about 10% of their Iron to be interested. You want to eat the foods that give you the most Iron. You can add these low-iron foods to your diet later when your iron blood stores are up.
Dairy products and eggs also reduce the absorption of nonheme iron, which is in production. But, they do not interfere with the absorption of heme iron, which is in meat.
Oxalates found in certain foods, such as spinach or other leafy vegetables, have also been found to limit the amount of Iron absorbed into your body.
Why do we need Iron?
-Iron is used to make Hemoglobin
-Hemoglobin carries oxygen from lungs to tissues and is vital for life
-Iron is also a requirement for manufacturing some hormones
-Iron is also essential for our growth and development
What are the sources of Iron?
-Non-Vegetarian sources: Meat, Seafood, Poultry
-Vegetarian Sources: Beans, Lentils, Peas, Kidney beans, Dark green leafy vegetables like Kale, Spinach, Tofu, Brussel sprouts, Bean sprouts, Beets, Cabbage, Corn, Nuts dries fruits, raisins
-Fortified foods: Various breakfast cereals and flours, and baby formulas come with the fortification of Iron
How much Iron is required daily?
Daily requirements depend on many factors like age and sex. Women require more iron than men because of the loss of blood during menstruation.
-Babies <6 months 0.27 mg
-Infants< 1 year 11 mg
-Kids<3 years 7 mg
-Kids 4-8 years 10 mg
-Kids 9-13 years 8 mg
-Boys 14-18 years 11 mg
-Girls 14- 18 years 15 mg
-Adult men 8 mg
-Adult female 18 mg
-Pregnancy 27 mg
-Lactation 9 mg
What happens when our iron levels are low?
-Main disease resulting from Iron deficiency is IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA.
If enough Iron is not available during pregnancy, it can result in low birth weight, premature delivery, and growth restriction to the baby’s brain growth.
-In kids, anemia can be a cause of psychological development delay, attention deficit, social withdrawal
Who are at high risk of iron deficiency?
Blood loss is a significant reason for iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency can affect anybody, but girls and women are at high risk, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding, where iron demands of the body increases.
Females with the excessive menstrual flow are also at high risk.
Premature newborns and people who donate blood very frequently can also get iron deficiency.
What can interfere with the body’s iron absorption?
Certain chronic diseases and cancer can hamper iron absorption. Calcium can also reduce iron absorption in the body. Vitamin C helps in iron absorption.
How will I know if my iron levels are low?
Deficiency of Iron causes iron deficiency anemia, where oxygen-carrying Red Blood Cells are less in the body. This is due to a lack of Iron. This makes you feel exhausted and breathless. Excess deficiency of Iron may also cause skin pallor, weakness, pain in the chest with increased heartbeat, cold, clammy extremities, sore tongue, brittle nails. Further loss of appetite or appetite for unusual things like ice, dirt may also be seen.
What to do if you suspect Iron deficiency?
Ensure enough quantities of iron-rich foods for the prevention of iron deficiency in your daily diet. Take medical opinion, few blood tests along with clinical examination will diagnose the problem. Only taking iron supplements may not help; treating the underlying cause is also essential. Iron overdose can be very harmful; hence self-medication must be avoided.
Homeopathy also has excellent biochemical medicines which work as iron supplements without side effects. Also, Homeopathic medicines can treat the underlying disease (if any) behind iron deficiency anemia from its roots.
According to 2008 World health organization data, Anemia affects almost 25% of the population. Small kids and women are at higher risk. Hence eat enough Iron and secure good health for you and your family!
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