You may not realise that feeling tired and weak could be due to an iron deficiency, but these are common symptoms. Iron comes from certain foods, so if you’re not eating enough iron-rich foods, you could be missing an important part of your diet.
Iron deficiency anemia can develop for a few reasons: 1) You lose more iron-containing blood than your body can replenish. 2) Your body has trouble absorbing iron. 3) You don’t get enough iron in your diet. 4) Your body needs more iron than usual. Your biological sex, lifestyle, underlying medical conditions, and age also make you more susceptible to iron deficiency. Read on to learn how much iron you should get, symptoms of iron deficiency, and how to get more iron from your food.
Are you getting enough iron?
It is important to know how much iron you should take. Men and women need different amounts, with men needing 8 mg of iron per day and women needing 18 mg per day. Women over 51 years of age only need 8 mg of iron per day, while pregnant women need 27 mg per day and breastfeeding women need 9 mg per day.
Luckily, iron is available in a variety of foods, including:
- Red meat, chicken, pork
- Beans and peas
- seafood
- Dark leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach
- Raisins, apricots and other dried fruits
- nuts
- Iron-fortified starches, such as pasta and cereal
Certain types of people are also at risk for iron deficiency. Menstruation can cause iron loss through blood loss. Infants and children can become deficient in iron if they don’t get enough breast milk or formula. Children and toddlers may also need extra iron during their growth period. If you donate blood frequently, you may need extra iron. Vegetarians and vegans are also prone to iron deficiency anemia if they don’t find sources of iron other than meat and seafood.
read more: The best foods to get all the vitamins you need
Potential side effects to watch out for
How do you know if you have an iron deficiency? There are some key symptoms of iron deficiency to look out for. Some may seem like everyday ailments, like a headache, while others may be more unexpected side effects, like the urge to eat clay.
Extreme fatigue or weakness
Dealing with extreme fatigue and weakness is a common way to tell if you have an iron deficiency. When you’re deficient in iron, your body can’t properly produce red blood cells, and your bloodstream becomes less efficient at carrying oxygen. When oxygen isn’t getting to where it’s needed, you can feel very weak and tired.
Breast problems
Related to the above, you may also experience symptoms such as chest pain, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath, which may also occur because your bloodstream is not delivering oxygen efficiently to where it is needed.
Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness
When your body lacks iron, less oxygen reaches your brain, which can lead to a variety of cognitive problems, including dizziness and lightheadedness. Iron deficiency anemia is also associated with headaches and migraines.
Cold hands and feet
When your body doesn’t get enough oxygen, you can feel cold. Iron deficiency affects the way your blood carries oxygen around your body, which can lead to cold hands and feet.
Cravings for non-nutritional foods
If you suffer from severe iron deficiency, you may crave foods that have no nutritional value and are indigestible. This condition is called pica. People with pica may eat non-food items such as ice, dirt, clay, and paper. Pica is associated with iron deficiency, but it is not well understood how the two are related. Iron therapy tends to cure pica behavior.
Anorexia
The other side of the coin is that you might not feel hungry at all. It’s not clear why this happens, but some theories suggest it may have to do with certain hormones or blood protein levels.
Pale skin
Iron deficiency can also cause your skin to look pale and dull. Iron deficiency can cause a decrease in red blood cells, which can make your skin look pale.
What are the main causes of iron deficiency?
There are several reasons why you may be iron deficient. The most immediate cause is simply not getting enough iron in your diet. Heavy, long and frequent menstrual periods, injury, illness, cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, and blood loss from donating blood can also be causes. Even a nosebleed can cause iron deficiency. You are at risk of iron deficiency during pregnancy due to the increased blood volume and the need for more iron for your unborn baby. Certain gastrointestinal disorders can also interfere with your body’s ability to absorb iron from food.
Rare causes of iron deficiency include certain stomach infections, gastrointestinal surgery, and genetic disorders.
How to get more iron into your diet
If you suspect you may not be getting enough iron, your doctor can help you get a blood test to see if you have iron deficiency anemia. If you do, here are some ways to get more iron into your diet:
- cooking Cast Iron Frying Pan Increase the amount of iron in your food
- A collection of recipes using iron-rich ingredients
- Eat nuts and seeds during the day
- Eat whole grains
- Combining foods rich in certain vitamins (such as foods high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta-carotene) with foods rich in iron helps increase iron absorption.
- Choose iron-rich cereals and breads
- Create an iron-rich salad with plenty of iron-rich plant foods, such as spinach, peas, lentils, white mushrooms, and black olives.
Because of budget constraints and busy lives, it can be hard to incorporate iron-rich foods into your diet. You can consider taking oral iron supplements or a multivitamin, but always consult with your doctor before trying anything new.
