IRON
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrition problem in the world. It affects 8% in affluent countries such as Australia. Because it is not life threatening and because it mainly affects women and young children, the iron issue has never received attention – until now.
1. What does iron do in the body? Iron is essential part of haemoglobin, the red colouring of blood, which helps carry oxygen to every part of the body. If your iron or haemoglobin count is low, you cannot perform normal everyday tasks well and tiredness and lack of energy result (a common complaint for women). Iron is also part of the muscle protein myoglobin, which explains why athletes why athletes need to check their iron for peak performance. Iron plays a part in many enzymes and co-enzymes, especially ones involved with the immune response. A lack of iron can lower immunity and leave you prone to frequent infections.
2. What are the signs of iron deficiency? Running low on iron can cause a number of health problems such as tiredness, lack of energy, poor stamina, little ability to do physical work or exercise, frequent infections and feeling the cold more than usual.
3. What foods give you iron? Red meat is the best source of iron because it is rich in iron and the iron is well-absorbed by the body, being in the form of haem iron. Red meat has twice as much iron as chicken and three times as much as fish. Generally, the redder the meat, the richer it is in iron. Lean red meat, eaten three or four times a week, is the simplest way to ensure an adequate iron intake. Ceral grains, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and lentils), nuts and eggs carry much iron, but the iron is non-haem iron and is not absorbed as well as that from meat. Of these foods, grains make the greatest contribution to our diet, with around 30% of iron coming from fortified breakfast cereals and bread.
4. Shouldn’t I be eating lots of spinach for iron? Popeye was wrong! There is a lot of iron in spinach but it is not well absorbed. In spinach and other vegetables, the naturally occurring fibre and oxalates bind to much of the iron so it cannot pass over into the body. As a comparison, a small 100g steak contains 4.1mg iron. As around 20% of this will ultimately be absorbed, the true iron contribution from this steak is only 0.8mg iron. In contrast, a serve of spinach comes in at a much larger 6.4mg, but at only 5% absorption, a tiny 0.06mg actually end up inside the body.
5. If I don’t eat meat, how can I get the iron I need? Vegetarians can obtain iron with the help of vitamin C, one of the ‘enhancers’ of iron uptake. Vit C or ascorbic acid reacts with non-haem iron, making it an ‘easier’ molecule for absorption. Adding a fruit or some tomato or capsicum (all rich in Vit C) to a meal increases the amount of iron from grains or lentils. Most vegetarian meals with their emphasis on vegetables and fruit would automatically contain much vitamin C.
6. Can’t I simply take an iron supplement? It is best to get it from food, nevertheless, when your body iron stores are low, an iron supplement will help, but it pays to choose one well. Some iron supplements can cause constipation.
7. Who is likely to run low on iron? Pregnant women need more iron to lay down iron stores for the developing baby and to increase their own blood supply. Teenage girls require more iron to meet the demands of rapid growth and the onset of menstruation. Unhappily many of them have low iron intakes as they eat poorly, saying no to sensible meals and then picking at snacks or becoming vegetarian (but badly) and so missing out on meat, the best source of bio-available iron. Vegetarians tend to have lower iron status than meat eaters. Although there is abundant iron in green vegetables and cereal grains, it is not well absorbed. Athletes can run low on iron as the heavy pounding of running or exercising destroys blood cells. Greater muscle mass means more myoglobin is produced, further raising iron needs.