How to make up for the iron deficiencies
Table of Contents
1. The role of iron in the body
Iron is also an essential component of certain enzymes and affects the body's humoral and cellular immunity. Iron is essential to the body for the components that make up hemoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting and delivering oxygen to cells, and myoglobin, which is the protein that stores and supplies it to muscles. Excess iron can contribute to the formation of free radicals in the body, so its quantity must be strictly regulated so as not to cause tissue damage.2. The demand for iron
The increase in iron demand occurs during puberty, particularly in girls during the first menstrual period. The recommended doses of iron for healthy adults are: females under 50 years of age 18 mg, women over 50 years old 10 mg, pregnant women 27 mg, breastfeeding women 10 mg and men 10 mg. It is also important for women to cover the loss of the element during menstruation.3. Causes of iron deficiency
Iron deficiency occurs when iron intake is insufficient to meet daily needs and can be caused by a number of factors, including: loss of blood due to injury after surgery, excessive menstrual bleeding in women, problems with the digestive tract (e.g. bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, poor absorption syndrome), poor diet with iron, lack of appetite, vomiting, increased demand for iron due to intense growth, chronic infections, cancer, regular infections.4. The effects of iron deficiency
A major consequence of iron deficiency in the body is anemia. Anemia is particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it increases the risk of complications such as premature detachment of the placenta, deoxygenation of the uterus, premature birth, miscarriage or birth of a child with low birth weight. Significant deficiency can be due to chronic inflammation, infection, bleeding, cancer, or it can result from a congenital or acquired deficiency of iron-carrying protein. Manifestations of this process include weakness, rapid masculinity, decreased ability to turn around, reduced appetite, resistance in the urethra, abnormalities in the bladder, and frequent disorders in the spine and bladder.5. Heme and non-heme iron
Dietary factors have little effect on its absorption (2535%). Its absorption rate ranges between 220%. The absorption inhibitors are phytaniums, spinach, plant polyphenols, tannins, peptides derived from undigested proteins, calcium and zinc. The iron available in food comes in two forms: heme (Fe 2+) and non-heme form (Fe 3+).6. Sources of iron
Often plants are also characterised by a higher iron content per 100 g of product than meat. Animal products are characterized by the highest bioavailability of this element, but in fact the amount of non-ferrous iron in the diet (as found in plant products) is significantly higher than that of ferrous iron. The main sources of iron are: animal products (mainly pork liver), poultry, veal, beef, seafood (oatmeal, clams), rice (oats, mackerel, tubers); figs: soybeans, red peppers, peaches, peas, beans, pistachios, dried fruits, black pepper, peanut butter, salted peppers (dried peas), dried beans and peas;7. How to help absorb iron
In order for a diet to be rich in iron, it is not enough to consume the above-mentioned foods.8. Is there anything we can do to make the iron absorb better?
In order to optimise the absorption of this element, vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C should be added to meals with iron. Ascorbic acid in the products has a stronger effect than those in the same products. Iron-absorbing compounds (e.g. phytany, polyphenols) are found in the highest amounts in aceroles, wild roses, black peppers, kiwis, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberrys, legumes, blueberries, cabbage crops, paprika, raw beans, cauliflower or grapefruit oil.9. Don't drink meals with tea or coffee
A minimum of one hour between meals and drinks should be observed, as they contain high levels of polyphenols and iron inhibitors.10. Add pickles (e.g. pickled cucumbers, cabbage) to meals
It is also worth mentioning the recent popularity of beetroot acids. Beetroot itself contains only 0.8 mg of iron per 100 g, so it is difficult to call it a very good source of this element, but incorporating bulic acid into the diet can contribute to better absorption of iron, as it contains lactic acid, which is responsible for the breakdown of phythenians, just like sucrose. The milk acid bacteria contained in them produce in the small intestine short-chain fatty acids, which soften the environment and thus facilitate iron absorption.11. Avoid mixing products rich in iron with calcium-rich products
(cheese, milk, beans, yogurt, kefir) This will make it harder to absorb iron.12. Reduce the amount of anti-nutritive ingredients
In order to reduce the amount of fatty acid in the diet, it should be remembered that fatty acids dissolve in an acidic environment. To reduce the quantity of fatted acid in your diet and thus increase the bioavailability of iron, you should: soak the seeds in this warm water, remove the bread from the leaven (the fermentation of the dough allows the bread to be soaked in the acid, although the fat content of the bread was also a good source of iron), add something fertile to the fat in order to increase the bio-accessibility of the iron.13. Supplementing with iron
Iron supplementation may be necessary, for example, in pregnant women (where the iron requirement is up to 27 mg per day) and in those with anemia. Probiotics should also be taken into account, in particular the probiotic strain Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v. Hoppe et al. 2015). However, it is not advisable to take supplements on your own, as it can easily lead to an excess of the element in the juice, which as well as deficiency carries with it a number of negative health consequences.