Importance of Iron & Combatting Deficiency

Iron is an essential mineral that is found in red blood cells and muscle cells where it is needed to transport oxygen and as a cofactor certain enzymes within the cells that carry out energy production and detoxification. It is a vital nutrient that whilst our bodies are really good at recycling iron, we need to get adequate amounts from our diet otherwise we start to feel lethargic and tired, lack energy, experience shortness of breath, aching muscles, foggy brain, pale skin, recurrent infections, poor wound healing, easy bruising and a general lack of vitality. So how much iron is enough?

Daily Requirements of Iron…

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of iron for healthy individuals is:

Infants 0-6mnths: 0.2mg/day

Infants 7-12mnths: 11mg/day

Children 1-3yrs: 9mg/day

Children 4-8yrs: 10mg/day

Girls & Boys 9-13yrs: 8mg/day

Girls 14-18yrs: 15mg/day

Boys 14-18yrs: 11mg/day

Women 19-50yrs: 18mg/day

Pregnancy: 27mg/day

Lactation: 10mg/day

Women 51-70+yrs: 8mg/day

Men 19-70+yrs: 8mg/day

Menstruating women require more than double the amount of iron than men or post-menopausal woman due to the amount of blood lost each month and so increasing their daily intake of iron containing foods during menstruation is recommended. Alternatively, supplementing with 24-60mg/day can help especially for vegans and vegetarians. Pregnant woman require the highest daily intake as they are growing a new blood supply for their baby along with increasing their own blood supply and oxygen needs. It is recommended to supplement iron during pregnancy at 30-60mg/day.

Iron Deficiency...

Women are at a far greater risk of developing iron deficiency (ID) and ID anaemia especially during pregnancy and their menstruating years. Signs of iron deficiency are listed above in the first paragraph, if you are feeling any of these symptoms, request an iron studies pathology test from your GP . IF you are iron deficient your naturopath will have prescribed an iron supplement! The recommended dosage for iron deficiency is 100-200mg per day in 3 divided doses taken at least 2 hours away from medications (iron can interfere with certain medication, alcohol, tea or coffee, milk and high calcium containing foods (these significantly reduce iron absorption.

It is important to note that supplementing with iron is not recommended during infections or in those at risk of infection as bacteria and other microbes can use iron to proliferate.

Food Sources of Iron...

Getting adequate iron can be a little harder for vegans and vegetarians as plants only contain non-haem iron (iron not from haemoglobin in red blood cells) which is harder for the body to extract from the food. A way to improve the absorption of non-haem iron and haem iron alike is to pair vitamin C containing foods with iron containing foods e.g. A steak or eggs with tomatoes, spinach with mushrooms, lemon and tomatoes. Organ meats, Shell fish, pork, red meat, chicken, fish and eggs are great sources of iron for meat eaters, however there are great options for vegetarians too and you don’t want to be eating three meals full of meat per day to acquire your daily iron intake either.

Animal Sources…

Chicken Liver - 100g - 11mg

Beef - 100g - 3.5mg

Kangaroo - 100g - 3.2mg

Salmon - 100g - 1.28mg

Tinned Tuna - 100g - 1.07mg

Egg cooked - 1 egg - 1.0mg

Pork - 100g - 0.8mg

Chicken - 100g - 0.4mg

Plant based Iron…

Morel Mushrooms - 1 cup cooked - 8.1mg

Soy beans - 1 cup cooked - 8.84mg

Lentils - 1 cup cooked - 6.59mg

Spinach - 1 cup cooked - 8. 1mg

Swiss Chard - 1 cup cooked with salt - 3.96mg

Lima beans - 1 cup cooked - 4.49mg

Olives - 1 cup - 4.44mg

Chickpeas or Ganbanzo beans - 1 cup cooked - 4.1mg

Black Beans - 1 cup cooked - 3.61mg

Tofu - 100g cooked - 3.02mg

Pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup - 2.84mg

Beetroot Greens - 1 cup - 2.74mg (eat in moderation as excess can inhibit calcium metablism)

Broccoli (my fave veg) - 1 cup cooked - 1.2mg

My story with iron deficiency…

I went through a period in my life where I was severely iron deficient because of following a poor vegan diet. This was before I was educated in nutrition like I am now. I had no energy, was depressed, my skin was sallow, sunken in and grey and I honestly thought I just couldn’t keep going through life like this. After supplementation and re-introducing some organic sustainably raised meats back into my diet (especially salmon) and utilising vitamin C and iron containing food pairing, I regained by iron stores and my vitality! This took about 6months.

So if you’re feeling any of these symptoms, go to your GP and get your iron studies tested! If you would like more guidance and support to improve your health and well being book a consultation with me and we can work together to correct your nutritional deficiencies and have you feeling your best again or even for the first time!

References

Braun, L., & Cohen, M. (2015). Herbs & natural supplements : An evidence-based guide (Fourth ed., Vol. Volume 2 /) [Fourth edition.]. Sydney, New South Wales: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.

Hechtman, L. (2019). Clinical naturopathic medicine (Second ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2014). Iron | Nutrient Reference Values. Retrieved 16 October 2019, from https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron