5 tips to improve your low iron levels

5 Tips to Improve your low iron level

A proper proportion of iron is very necessary for our body. So today we will talk about 5 ways by which you can increase the intake of iron in your diet. 

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world. The numbers are staggering, 2 billion people– about 30% of the world’s population are anemic, many due to iron deficiency. 

Iron as you know is a mineral, that is crucial to our bodies for making the protein hemoglobin, which in turn transports oxygen to all the vital organs of our body.

Iron deficiency might be subtle in its manifestations, which might include ill-health, weakness, and fatigue, affect the cognitive development in children, and so on. 

The highest amount of iron is found in meat, which includes all kinds of meat like seafood, poultry, and pork. This kind of iron is known as heme iron. On the other hand, the iron that we get from plant sources like cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables is known as non-heme iron. 

But just because you are consuming a lot of iron-rich foods, doesn’t mean that all the iron is getting absorbed in the body. The bioavailability of iron is very low, which means that not all the consumed iron is absorbed efficiently by the body. 

Heme iron, which is found in meats is absorbed 2-7 times more efficiently than non-heme iron. The absorption of heme iron is also not affected by dietary factors. However non-heme i.e plant sources still account for a significant contribution of iron in the diet.

5 ways to increase the absorption of Iron in your Body

So here are 5 ways by which you can increase the absorption of iron in your body, especially if you are a vegetarian and dependant on plant-based sources of iron - 

1. Increase the intake of VitaminC. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid transforms the non-heme iron into a form that is more readily absorbed by the body. 

So if you are consuming iron-rich foods, it might be a good idea to accompany them with Vitamin C rich foods like citrus, bell peppers, broccoli, etc 

2. Consume soaked, cooked, and germinated foods. Cereals and legumes are a good source of iron, but they also contain phytates, a class of compounds that inhibit the absorption of iron by our body. 

Processes like soaking, cooking, and germination reduced the level of phytates in cereals and legumes and therefore help in the better absorption of iron. 

3. Keep the calcium intake in check. The mineral calcium, which is found in milk and milk products, competes with the absorption of iron in our bodies. 

So, for example, kids who consume a lot of milk might have the risk of iron deficiency, if their iron-rich meals are accompanied by calcium-rich foods. 

4. Do not consume tea or coffee with meals. Tea and coffee contain a group of compounds known as polyphenols, which inhibit the absorption of iron from non-heme sources. 

So it might be a good idea to consume your tea or coffee between the meals instead of with your meals. 

5. Iron fortification and supplementation. You can also increase the intake of iron by consuming foods that are fortified with iron, for example, iron-fortified cereals, or you might also include iron supplements in your diet. 

Now, should you be worried about the iron levels in your body? Most people don’t need to worry about it, but it's also good to know the food chemistry part of it. So go get a blood test, and if your iron levels are fine, continue with your existing diet. 

And if not, you could consult a nutritionist and discuss meal plans in a way that increases the absorption of iron in your body. 

Iron is an extremely important mineral for our body in order to manage the transportation of oxygen throughout the body.

If you feel like you are extremely exhausted after doing a little workout or exercise or some kind of physical work like cycling, running, etc then there is a high chance of you and your body is lacking in iron. Most of the Iron lacking or deficiency cases happen with women only in comparison to men.

It is quite obvious that women can have a more chance of iron and blood deficiency than men. The reason is simple and that’s the loss of blood during menstruation or pregnancy. The deficiency of iron is also known as Anemia. 

Popular Ayurvedic medicine brand Patanjali offers a nice ayurvedic medicine named “Lohasava” which is beneficial in most cases of Anemia.

Lohasava is one of the best ayurvedic formulations for the treatment of Anaemia which is also proven to be effective in the treatment of asthma, fistula, piles, and some internal swellings. It can also be taken to balance the loss of appetite.

Remember weakness, dizziness, coldness in hands and feet, numbness, lower body temperature, abnormal headaches, these all can be the symptoms of Iron deficiency in your body. 

Anemia is not an infection or some other kind of issue in any part of the body but it is a deficiency of blood and iron from the body so you should not take it lightly as you how important and valuable your blood is for your body.

This does not usually happen but sometimes low iron intake or low iron diet also becomes responsible for the lack of iron in our blood, as you need to understand that we take iron from outside from our food which is the reason why we should be taking care of the iron content in it. So, these were the 5 tips to improve the low iron level in your body, share more tips if you know in the comment box.

"So, these were some interesting facts, remember given above is not a solution to any problem, they are just mere advice and information. You should always consult your doctor before taking any step. Take care!." Please subscribe and share interesting health or fitness topics, and interesting facts.