Iron is one of the most crucial minerals in the human body. It assists in numerous functions, like growth and the transportation of oxygen throughout the body. Despite its importance, iron deficiency remains one of the most common nutritional deficiencies, affecting millions of people globally each year.
When left untreated, iron deficiency can cause critical issues and severely impact human health. Hence, in order to promote better health, understanding iron deficiency and how to prevent it is essential.
Causes of Iron Deficiency
A deficiency in iron can develop for many reasons, from dietary choices to blood loss. Therefore, identifying the specific causes is the first crucial step into preventing the development of serious health issues.
- Blood Loss - As blood contains iron, the loss of blood leads to a loss in iron. Individuals who have heavy blood flow during their menstrual cycle are at a higher risk of having a deficiency due to the higher content of iron they lose. Furthermore, pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen can cause internal bleeding if they are used regularly, which can add on to iron loss.
- Dietary Issues - Our body gets a lot of its iron from food, hence following a diet where iron is not high can cause a deficiency. On the other hand, some individuals have conditions, like celiac disease that causes their bodies to reject iron.
- Pregnancy - During a pregnancy, the body requires a much larger than normal amount of iron to support fetal development. This causes existing iron reserves to be depleted to create hemoglobin, hence creating high levels of iron loss in the body.
Impact of Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiencies affect more than energy. As iron levels continue to drop cognitive function, intellectual performance and the overall quality of life worsen. When it's left untreated, iron deficiency can create serious health complications.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency:
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle Cramps
- Pale Skin
- Sore Tongue
Iron deficiencies can also cause more concerning symptoms. For example, anemia, which is the lack of red blood cells due to the lack of iron to produce it. This causes difficulty in transporting oxygen throughout your body and leads to fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath. Anemia is most commonly caused by iron deficiency and affects nearly every 1 in 4 people in the world, making it one of the most common conditions.
Iron deficiency can cause mild challenges to severe complications, highlighting the importance of recognizing the deficiencies and solving it.
Maintaining Healthy Iron Levels
Regardless of how widespread iron deficiencies are, they remain one of the most treatable disorders. One of the main and most effective ways to increase levels of iron is through dietary choices. Hence, through certain choices and changes in lifestyles, individuals can effectively maintain their iron levels to prevent a deficiency, or fix one.
Iron Rich Foods:
- Meat - Beef, lamb and ham are one of the meat options containing the most amount of iron and are hence effective ways of maintaining iron.
- Seafood - Shrimps, clams and scallops are extremely successful in increasing iron levels.
- Vegetables - Spinach as a vegetable and food as a whole is one of the most effective to support iron. Other vegetables with high iron content include sweet potatoes and peas.
- Carbs - White bread, whole wheat bread and enriched pasta are common carbs that are rich in iron.
- Fruit - Strawberries, watermelon and raisins are fruits that are nutritious and heavy in iron content.
Maintaining healthy iron levels requires consistent action and thoughtful decisions in an individual’s diet. By prioritizing nutrition and attending regular checkups and giving blood tests, individuals can protect themselves from iron deficiencies and maintain their long-term health.
Iron deficiency, regardless of being common, is often overlooked. Yet it still poses concerning impacts that can affect an individual’s life for the worse. By taking cautionary steps and understanding the deficiency, individuals can effectively protect their health and prevent the burden one of the most common nutritional disorders poses.
Sources:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22824-iron-deficiency-anemia#symptoms-and-causes
- https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html