When you eat foods that contain iron and that iron is absorbed into your bloodstream, it is used to make hemoglobin and new red blood cells. If you don't get enough iron in your diet, or if you lose too much iron through blood loss, you may develop an iron deficiency. An iron deficiency can lead to anemia which, left untreated, can turn into a serious medical condition. Good nutrition can help prevent iron-deficiency anemia.
Causes
If you do not eat meat or other good dietary sources of iron, or if your body does not absorb enough iron from these foods, your blood levels of iron will be low. Low blood levels of iron can lead to the form of anemia known as iron-deficiency anemia. Other causes of iron-deficiency anemia, such as an ulcer, overuse of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, and blood loss due to menstrual periods or other causes, are unrelated to nutrition.
Symptoms
Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, headache, pale inner eyelids, heart palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath. More severe iron deficiency may lead to decreased appetite, sore tongue, lowered immunity, sleep disturbances, abdominal pain, brittle hair and thin, brittle and abnormally-shaped fingernails. If you suspect you have an iron deficiency, your doctor can perform a blood test to find out for sure.
Treatment
Increasing the amount of iron in your diet may be enough to treat mild iron deficiency. If including more sources of iron in your diet does not raise your blood iron levels enough to reverse iron deficiency, you may need to take an iron supplement. Your doctor can tell you the type and amount of supplemental iron you should take. If iron deficiency is due to another condition, your doctor may have to treat that condition first. In severe cases of iron-deficiency anemia, a blood transfusion may be necessary to bring iron levels back to normal.
Nutrition
Red meat, poultry, shellfish, liver and egg yolks are some of the best sources of iron. The form of iron contained in these animal foods is more easily absorbed by your body than the form of iron found in plant foods. Plant foods that contain iron include dried beans, lentils, split peas, peanut butter, raisins and other dried fruit, dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin C helps your body absorb more iron from plant sources. To get the most iron from your diet, pair these plant sources of iron with foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as orange sections, orange juice or other forms of citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet red or green peppers, and broccoli.
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