Watch the video
- Watch the video on youtube
Anemia and Iron Deficiency
The relationship between anemia and iron deficiency is universally known. This mineral is in fact a fundamental part of hemoglobin, a molecule contained in red blood cells and essential for the transport of oxygen in the blood.
From this awareness arises the frequent and spontaneous use of iron supplements, widespread especially in sports with the aim of increasing the hemoglobin values in the blood.
A little less known are all the other causes of anemia (aplastic, sickle cell, haemolytic, pernicious, etc.), which result independent of iron deficiency.
The anemic form caused by iron deficiency is called iron deficiency anemia.
Often the condition remains asymptomatic or presents with mild symptoms, such as paleness, weakness, dizziness, cold extremities, and brittle nails. These symptoms are fairly nonspecific and common to all the various forms of anemia; therefore, before considering the use of iron supplements, it is important to consult a doctor and make sure that the symptoms depend on an actual deficiency of the mineral.
What to Know about Iron
Few people have sufficient knowledge on the metabolism of iron in the body. For this reason we briefly report some hints of physiology, useful for establishing the need or not for iron supplements.
- The absorption of iron in the intestine varies closely with the body's needs; if this increases the intestinal mucosa absorbs it in greater percentages and vice versa.
- Daily iron losses are quantifiable in about 0.8-1.5 mg per day, but there is some individual variability, especially in women.
- Only 10-35% of the iron present in animal foods and 2-10% of that contained in plants is actually absorbed. If an average percentage of 10% is assumed, the "intake must" be equal to 10 times the requirement; in this case it is therefore quantifiable in 8-15 mg / day.
- The presence of vitamin C, citric acid (it is therefore useful to add a few drops of lemon on fish or steak), sugars (especially fructose) and amino acids, facilitates the absorption of iron, which is instead hindered by tea and coffee . Also in vegetables and whole foods there are substances capable of limiting the absorption of iron; normally the quantity subtracted from the body is irrelevant for the overall metabolism, but it can contribute to the establishment of deficiency states if the diet is the same time poor in meat and fish.
- The balance of iron is regulated above all at the level of absorption, while elimination is relatively constant (0.8-1.5 mg per day) and occurs mainly with bile, faeces, small intestinal haemorrhages, desquamation of the skin and urine.
- For every ml of blood lost, about 0.5 mg of iron is gone.
- It is difficult to quantify blood loss during menstruation; a reasonable average is between 30 and 60 ml per month, but some women can lose much less or much more, without trespassing into the abnormality. Considering a value of 46 ml and distributing the total losses (46/2 = 23 mg ) for the 30 days of the month, a daily surplus of 0.76 mg is obtained.
Causes of Iron Deficiency
For what has been said so far, we can identify various factors that predispose the individual to iron deficiency:
- reduced intake, due to diets low in meat and based mainly on whole grains and vegetables;
- diet excessively rich in bran (used by some to regulate intestinal function);
- insufficient absorption: achlorhydria, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, abuse of laxatives;
- excessive bleeding (hemorrhoids, nosebleed, heavy menstrual flow, ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc.);
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- sports (especially endurance running).
Iron supplements
The use of iron supplements is justified in the presence of the risk factors listed above or when specific blood tests have shown an anemic form attributable to an iron deficiency.
The treatment of these conditions involves the administration of external martial sources (iron supplements), since food alone may not be sufficient to balance important deficiencies.
Adapting one's dietary habits is however important, just think that the vitamin C contained in a glass of orange juice is able to triple the absorption of iron provided by breakfast.
The use of iron supplements should only be done under medical advice, after a careful evaluation of specific blood tests. Only in this way will it be possible to avoid excess problems and discover the real causes of the anemic picture.
To learn more about iron supplements and how to use them, read this article.
