Feeling tired, looking pale and perhaps your heart jumps like crazy? You might have iron deficiency! We’re sharing some major symptoms and detailed instruction on how to increase your iron levels.
Did you know that low iron is the most wide spread nutritional problem in the world? Around 2 billion people (that’s 30% of the whole population on Earth!) is suffering from some form of iron deficiency. And it’s more common in women, especially those following a Western diet, so, chances are we might all need a bit more iron in our diet!
You’re most probably iron deficient if you’re:
Feeling tired all the time. The body uses iron to make haemoglobin that transports oxygen around. When you don’t have enough of it, you are likely to feel pretty exhausted for no particular reason.
Getting out of breath easily. Hiking up The Mount seems impossible and you’re already out of breath on the first steps? If you’re quite fit that’s a sign your body isn’t transporting oxygen to the lungs properly! Low iron levels can affect your endurance.
Looking pale. Does your face in the mirror say you need a 2-week holiday asap? Blame low iron on looking washed out (unless you’ve spent the last week working extra hours … then blame your boss!) Iron deficiency can also make the inside of your lips, your gums, and the inside of your bottom eyelids look less red than usual.
Getting ill frequently. You might think jumping from one cold straight into another one is ok – you never know where you can catch another does of flu, right? Well, actually, being sick all the time is anything but ok. An iron deficiency affects the immune system which puts you at risk of catching infections and viruses easily.
Heaving heart palpitations. They might only last a few seconds but if you noticed an irregular heartbeat or feel like your heart is pounding and fluttering, do not ignore these symptoms.
Craving non-food substances. Ok, this one is weird … but it does happen! Some people feel as though they want to eat dirt, or clay, or paint. Don’t let this freak you out! It only makes you a candidate for an iron deficiency diagnosis.
Main reasons for having an iron deficiency:
Heavy or long periods. Losing a lot of blood means losing a lot of iron with it.
Vegan or vegetarian diet. The less meat you have on your plate the more difficult it is to get enough iron – but it’s certainly not impossible as legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, all contain iron. You only need to make sure you eat enough of them daily!
Problems with absorbing iron. Digestive disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease affect our ability to absorb iron. Certain medications can do that as well!
How to improve your iron levels:
Eat meat. Iron is found in shellfish, red meat, poultry, eggs, milk and fish.
Or don’t! There is also enough iron in spinach, kale, beans, lentils, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, nuts and seeds.
Add vitamin C. You can help your body to absorb iron by consuming vitamin C with it.
Take a blood test. It won’t, of course, increase your iron levels on its own but, with a recommendation from your GP, you can start taking supplements. But never do this without a proper checkup – too much iron can actually be harmful for you!
