increasing iron.
Iron can be rather complex to explain. You often hear words like ferritin, dietary iron, hemoglobin, heam iron, non-heam... It’s a lot.
To simply state it, iron is the mineral in our blood and ferritin is a type of protein that stores iron. Although different, they work together and both need to be within the normal range to keep your iron stores up.
The ideal range of haemaglobin is 120-160g/L. Severe amemia is under 80g/L.
A normal ferritin level is around 20 - 307ng/mL for women ( ranges up to 336ng/mL for men). These results will be shown through a blood test from a GP referral.
Anaemia and iron deficiency are often overlooked as a serious health condition. Do you often feel lightheaded when standing up? fatigued after a full night's sleep? cold and weak in otherwise normal conditions/ temperature? The symptoms keeps going…
Extreme fatigue
Lightheadedness, headaches, and dizziness
Pale skin
Brittle nails
Cold hands and feet
Weakness
Shortness of breath
30% of women worldwide suffer from anaemia; an even larger percentage considered low in iron ( but not anaemic). In contrast, only 2% of men are anaemic. The main reason for this is menstruation in females; an average cycle loses 1 mg of iron. Although an ‘average’ cycle is less common than you think, many women who have heavier bleeding or excessive menstrual blood loss (menorrhagia) can lose 5 - 6 times this. As this is an underlying issue, the solution isn’t always as easy as “eat more red meat” - (honestly this can be the most frustrating advice when you already include it in your diet).
Likewise, for those who choose to be vegetarian or vegan, although harder to build, there are still ways to boost iron levels.
Diet intervention
Dietary iron comes in the form of haem and non-haem iron.
Haem iron is only found in animal meat, in the likes of beef, poultry, and seafood.
Stores in these meats range from 0.5mg to 2.5mg per 100g:
Seafood 0.5 mg per 100g
Egg - 0.9mg per egg
Chicken -1.2mg per 100g
Red meat - 2.5 mg per 100g.
Non-haem iron, as you have probably guessed, is found in plant foods. This includes sources in legumes (beans, lentils), spinach, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds, and whole grains. Spinach sits at about 2.7mg per 100g, lentils - 3.3 mg. You might notice these numbers are higher than heam sources (meat), but non-haem iron is not as easily absorbed by the body, so these values can’t be directly compared. Fortified foods also fit within the non-haem iron categories - these are found in everyday foods like breakfast cereals; weet-bix, Nutri Grain, etc., breads and other wholegrains.
If you’re eating a balanced variety of all of these foods and still seeing iron stores falling short, you may need to look at other ways to obtain iron.
Eat iron with vitamin C
Vitamin C ( also known as ascorbic acid) acts as a powerful promotor for iron absorption. When Vitamin C binds to iron it can increase the solubility and stability of the iron molecules.
A common recommendation is to drink a glass of orange juice with your high-iron meals - while this is okay, it can add a lot of sugar into your day that you otherwise might not have had or wanted.
Other great options can be dark leafy greens, capsicum, tomato, cruciferous vegetables ( like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, etc.), and of course citrus fruits, strawberries, and kiwifruit; when eating the whole fruit you get the added benefit of fibre.
Vitamin C supplementation can also be a beneficial option whether this is in pill form, dissolvable tablet, or a powder. Choose a high-quality and high-potency vitamin C.
Watch for foods that may inhibit iron absorption.
Like how Vitamin C can boost iron absorption, some foods can inhibit the absorption of iron.
The two most know substances to cause this are tannins ( commonly found in tea) and casein protein found in dairy products. Dairy does have only a minimal effect and only consuming large quantities would cause substantial losses.
Tannins, found in tea have a stronger effect. It’s not to say you should avoid a cup of tea, but consider spacing this out in your day or limiting the amount of tea you drink. Having a cup of tea directly after a high iron meal can decrease the bioavailability of the iron by 40%.
Find an iron supplement that works for you.
I have spent years looking for an iron supplement that works, but will have the least amount of side effects. Keep in mind that supplementing iron should be discussed with your GP - but generally what is prescribed is Ferrograd ( which can also be brought over the counter ). Many people low in iron have likely been prescribed this. While it might work in increasing iron levels it can cause some people gastrointestinal issues or pain, and nauseous feelings.
A few favourites I have tried with no side effects (in my opinion) are options such as Iron Melts, Floradix Formula, or Iron Restore by BePure. Often these are lower dose than prescribed medication but make a difference nonetheless.
Professional help -
This one goes without saying, if you are experiencing the effects of low iron please talk to a GP or medical professional. Although these tips can be great to implement into your diet and routine it’s best to get advice tailored to you if you have ongoing symptoms.
With any nutrition advice, give it time to feel the effects of any change you've implemented. What works for one person might not work for you. The important thing is to make small tolerable changes and build from them.
Resources:Iron-dependent erythropoiesis in women with excessive menstrual blood losses and women with normal mensesThe Impact of Tannin Consumption on Iron Bioavailability and Status: A Narrative ReviewFERROGRAD C TABLETS