Your body can be robbed of iron through several physiological processes, medical conditions, and dietary factors that either cause blood loss or inhibit iron absorption.
Iron is depleted by blood loss (heavy periods, bleeding ulcers, surgery), increased demand (pregnancy, growth spurts, intense exercise), poor dietary intake, and conditions that hinder iron absorption (celiac disease, gastric bypass, some medications, or certain foods/drinks like tea/coffee/dairy with meals). Exercise can cause loss through sweating, red blood cell damage (hemolysis), and increased needs, while poor absorption is a major factor, even with good intake.
Iron is lost from the body through sweat, shedding intestinal cells, and blood loss.
Some things can reduce your iron absorption, such as:
Low iron in pregnancy is caused by your body's increased need for iron to support the growing baby and expanded blood volume, combined with potentially inadequate dietary intake, poor absorption, or pre-existing low iron stores from factors like heavy periods or previous pregnancies, with factors like morning sickness and multiple babies worsening the risk. Essentially, it's a mismatch between the high demands of pregnancy and your body's iron supply and absorption ability, making it a very common issue.
The total iron needs of slightly more than 1,000 mg are concentrated in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. This amount is equivalent to about 6 mg of iron absorbed per day in a woman who starts pregnancy with absent or minimal storage iron.
Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy also is linked to having a low birth weight baby. Some studies show a higher risk of infant death immediately before or after birth in pregnant people who have severe iron deficiency anemia.
To get 100% of your daily iron, focus on iron-rich foods like lean red meat, poultry, and seafood (heme iron), which are easily absorbed, and plant sources like lentils, beans, tofu, spinach, fortified cereals, and dried fruits (non-heme iron), pairing them with Vitamin C (citrus, capsicum) to boost absorption and avoiding tea/coffee with meals. Fortified cereals can provide 100% DV in one serving, but a varied diet is key, says Dietitians Australia.
Anemia due to iron deficiency is a highly prevalent medical condition in women and children. Iron deficiency presents with fatigue, low mood, anxiety, restlessness, palpitations, and headache. Poor nutritional intake can be the reason of iron deficiency in underprivileged populations.
Eat More Iron-Rich Foods
This includes red meat like beef or lamb, organ meats like liver, poultry, and seafood such as oysters, clams, and tuna. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods like lentils, beans, tofu, spinach, kale, and fortified cereals.
Your body has no natural way to get rid of the extra iron. It stores it in body tissues, especially the liver, heart, and pancreas. The extra iron can damage your organs.
There are many things that can lead to a lack of iron in the body. In men and post-menopausal women, the most common cause is bleeding in the stomach and intestines. This can be caused by a stomach ulcer, stomach cancer, bowel cancer, or by taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
To get more iron in the evening, mix heme and non-heme iron sources in one meal. For example, try grilled chicken (heme iron) with lentils and spinach (non-heme iron) and bell peppers (vitamin C). This mix boosts iron absorption and makes for a healthy meal.
Certain foods may worsen anemia because they can reduce how much iron the body is able to absorb. While studies have shown mixed results, it may be best to limit intake of dairy, as dairy can block the absorption or iron.
For quick iron, focus on easily absorbed heme iron from red meat, poultry, and seafood (beef, chicken, oysters, tuna) or plant-based non-heme iron from spinach, lentils, beans, tofu, fortified cereals, and pumpkin seeds, pairing plant sources with Vitamin C (citrus, tomatoes, peppers) for better absorption.
Do not take antacids or drink milk or anything with caffeine within 2 hours of when you take your iron. They can keep your body from absorbing the iron well. Vitamin C may help your body absorb iron. Some people take iron pills with a glass of orange juice or some other food high in vitamin C.
Iron deficiency symptoms include fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath, cold hands/feet, brittle nails, headaches, and unusual cravings like ice (pica), stemming from reduced oxygen in the body, affecting energy and physical appearance. Other signs can involve a sore tongue, hair loss, rapid heartbeat, and poor concentration.
Two eggs a day provide a decent start to your iron intake (around 1.4-1.7mg, or 10-14% of RDI for adults), but it's usually not enough on its own to meet daily needs (8-18mg for adults), especially for women of childbearing age, and the iron in eggs (non-heme iron) is less easily absorbed than iron from meat. To boost iron, pair eggs with Vitamin C sources like spinach or bell peppers and include other iron-rich foods like lean meats, beans, and fortified cereals in your diet, as recommended by Dietitians Australia and Meat & Livestock Australia.
For breakfast, have iron-fortified cereal with strawberries, a grapefruit half, or a glass of 100% orange juice. For lunch, have a bowl of chili made with lean ground beef (optional), beans, and tomatoes. For dinner, pair grilled salmon with lightly steamed spinach that has been tossed in lemon juice and olive oil.
Dark chocolate: It is both delicious and a great source of iron. It is rich in antioxidants, contains heart-healthy properties, and is a mood booster.
Hemoglobin levels of 5 g/dL can be dangerous. Lower than normal hemoglobin levels indicate anemia. One of the best ways to prevent iron deficiencies is to make sure your diet has enough iron. Severe iron deficiency can cause dangerous long-term health effects without treatment.
In this cohort study of 532 232 nonadoptive Swedish children and their 299 768 mothers, anemia diagnosed earlier in pregnancy (≤30 weeks) was significantly associated with increased offspring risk of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability.
Without enough iron, the body can't make enough hemoglobin for red blood cells. Pregnant people can get this type of anemia if they don't take iron supplements. Blood loss also can cause it. Blood loss might be from heavy menstrual bleeding, an ulcer, cancer or regular use of some pain relievers, especially aspirin.