Iron deficiency anemia is when your body does not have enough red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Every organ and tissue in your body needs oxygen to work.
What is Iron Deficiency?
Iron deficiency is a type of Anemia that occurs when your body does not have enough iron to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in your RBCs that is responsible for carrying oxygen to your tissues. If you aren’t consuming enough iron or if you’re losing too much iron, your body can’t produce enough hemoglobin and iron deficiency anemia will eventually develop.
Symptoms:
Extreme fatigue
Weakness
Pale skin
Headache, Dizziness, Or lightheadedness
Cold hands and feet
Inflammation or soreness of your tongue
Brittle nails
Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt, or starch
Chest pain
Fast Heartbeat or Shortness of Breath
Causes:
Blood Loss
Lack of Iron in diet
Inability to absorb iron
Pregnancy
Endometriosis
Internal Bleeding
Treatment:
When caused by inadequate iron intake, iron deficiency anemia can be prevented by eating a diet high in iron-rich foods and vitamin C. Iron supplements will not help if excess bleeding causes the deficiency. A doctor may prescribe birth control pills to women who have heavy periods. This can reduce the amount of menstrual bleeding each month.
Food with High iron
The body absorbs two to three times more iron from animal sources than from plants. Some of the best animal sources of iron are:
Lean beef
Oysters
Chicken
Turkey
Ham
Seafood, such as clams, sardines, shrimp, and oysters
Although you absorb less of the iron in plants, adding a source of vitamin C to vegetarian sources of iron will enhance absorption. Some of the best plant sources of iron are:
Beans and lentils
Tofu
Baked potatoes
Cashews
Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach
Fortified breakfast cereals
Whole-grain and enriched bread
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