According to a new report, the percentage of women with more anaemia has risen. What are some key signs of iron deficiency and what can be done?
The new global report is warning that anaemia among reproductive-age women has increased from 14% in 2016 to 15.3% in 2017 and about one third, 32.8%, of women, are anaemic around the world while they’re still at the point where they can get pregnant which also puts them at a higher risk for complications of their pregnancies.
Anaemia is a deficiency in iron that can result from factors such as blood loss or pregnancy. Scientists believe that instead of the hormones changing to cause mood swings during a woman’s time of the month, it could be their iron deficiency.
A drop in iron can cause the cognitive function and strength of women to suffer, which can lead to depression and moodiness. A lack of this crucial vitamin which is found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli leads to blood loss and causes the body’s central nervous system to slow down.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency affecting more than two billion people worldwide.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, twenty per cent of women of childbearing age have iron-deficiency anaemia.
Despite the availability of nutrition information, research suggests that more than 80% of people in the world are not consuming a nutrient vital to their well-being.
However, according to the World Health Organization, WHO, about 10% of people worldwide are deficient in iron.
Iron deficiency is rampant in the UK, and it affects women over 35 years of age, girls aged 15-18, toddlers aged 1-2 years old and men 65 or older.
In addition, a 2016 study in the respected medical journal The Lancet suggests that up to one-third of the population have anaemia.
According to experts, doctors often miss the common symptoms of vitamin b deficiency, despite its relatively easy treatment.
Women aged 35-49, as well as girls aged 15-18, are most at risk of deficiency.
What’s causing this widespread iron deficiency?
Leading nutritionist Greg Weatherhead says that a large rise in popularity of vegan and plant-based diets is one of the key factors causing people to be nutrient deficient.
Although it can be beneficial, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, eliminating certain food groups from your diet may remove essential nutrients.
Weatherhead says fitness and lifestyle influencers need to take responsibility for the impact they have on people who are influenced by their diets.
Vegans and vegetarians are a group that has a responsibility to teach the importance of making substitutions in order to survive without some foods.
This is because meat contains more haem iron than plant sources. The absorption process of this form of iron is also considerably easier, which means it’s much easier for your body to utilize the nutrients in food and take them in as a result.
“Furthermore, the high number of processed foods we consume means that the number of vitamins and minerals under-represented in our diet is also on the rise,” said Weatherhead.
How much iron do we need on average a day?
The British Dietetic Association recommends 18mg of iron for women aged 19-50 years. That’s the equivalent of eating 12oz (340g) pieces of spinach, 10 dates and 1 cup of black beans.
The ‘iron restocking store’ effect of this is 1.6kg of turkey, 24 eggs or 1.2kg of kale per day, according to Weatherhead. During pregnancy, the requirement is 27mg per day and not during other periods which has a lower requirement of 18mg so it can be difficult to achieve by just increasing.
“The dietary recommendation for men aged 19-50 years old is an 8mg daily dose. This easily translates to 800 grams of turkey meat, 11 boiled eggs, or 530 grams of kale per day.”
Symptoms of iron deficiency
Iron deficiency can be mistaken with other more common ailments.
“Iron plays a role in many processes throughout your body, so symptoms of deficiency can manifest themselves differently depending on the process,” Weatherhead explains.
Lack of energy, pallor or any other symptoms can seem like obvious signs to many people, but they’re often less observable.
When a person experiences an iron deficiency, the strange symptoms may include eating non-food items like ice cubes or dirt. It’s not clear how the low levels of iron found in one’s body lead to this behaviour though.
GPs can check iron levels, for example with a simple blood test, whenever they deem it necessary.
It is important to know the symptoms of iron deficiency so you can share them with your doctor.
You’re always exhausted
Iron deficiency is one of the most common signs because iron is responsible for transporting oxygen to every part of your body.
Having too little iron in your body gives you less energy, which comes from the tissues and other cells.
In 2014, research published in the Danish Medical Journal found that many patients with critically low levels of iron experienced physical tiredness as their main symptom.
Iron supplementation (explained below) showed to be effective in treating symptoms.
Shortness of breath
Low levels of haemoglobin also mean the body is not carrying enough oxygen to muscles and tissues effectively, which leads to shortness of breath during exercise and even activities like climbing stairs.
Though pale skin, tiredness and heart palpitations are among the most common symptoms of iron deficiency.
You have pale skin (or a pale tongue)
Many people believe that pale skin is a sign of low iron levels, but it can also be symptomatic of conditions that are less prevalent such as anemia.
Come up with a better explanation: Drape your inner eyelid in front of you and take a look at your reflection to maintain proper eye health.
According to G. Weatherhead, a “paleness in general” can be a symptom of low iron levels, which is due to low levels of hemoglobin that help give blood its red color.
Iron is hemoglobin, an essential part of red blood cells, which transports oxygen throughout the body. Without enough iron, the body can’t make enough healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells and has a sluggish breathing rate.
If you are experiencing fatigue and looking for a cause, check your tongue. The most common indicator of iron deficiency is something called “tongue pallor” which often correlates to anemia.”
Restless Legs
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a condition that makes one feel an overwhelming need to move either the legs or arms, and while it usually only gets worse at night time, scientists have also observed that RLS symptoms severely affect daytime activities.
The American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine recently published a study that confirmed people with restless leg syndrome may be deficient in iron. However, the 2009 double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study from Sleep Medicine found those with RLS who took oral iron for 12 weeks had significant improvements in their symptoms.
Headache and dizziness
With a lack of hemoglobin in the blood caused by an iron deficiency, not enough oxygen reaches the brain, which makes its blood vessels swell and press against it.
Some women may experience headaches during their menstrual period. If this is too difficult to control, you might want to get your iron levels checked.
A study at the University Hospital in Zagreb found that menstrual headaches and migraines were a symptom of iron deficiency, which could be alleviated by taking supplemental iron.
Experts say that iron deficiency can also have a negative impact on our mental health, causing anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings and depression.
Brittle nails
‘Poor iron levels can lead to brittle nails,’ says Greg Weatherhead. ‘This usually comes along with other symptoms such as fatigue and pale skin.’
‘The more serious form of anemia, iron deficiency, has a significant impact on the fingernails. They will become concave as though scooping away from your fingertip and they flatten out like spoons in order to hold onto any bit of available nutrition they can find in the body – this is an unfortunate sign of iron deficiency.
Heart palpitations
Iron deficiency can cause heart palpitations, something that needs to be assessed by a medical professional.
Dr. Greg Weatherhead warns that this can lead to irregular or fast heartbeats and even heart murmurs, an enlarged heart, or in extreme cases heart failure.
Soreness and swelling in the mouth
“Cracks on the corners of your mouth or ulcers can be signs that you are experiencing iron deficiency anemia,” Weatherhead says.
A tongue inflammation (known as glossitis) may be caused by iron deficiency. Iron, fundamental for the growth of cells and energy distribution in the body, plays a key role. This mineral regulates cell-reproduction and contributes to red blood production which carries oxygen to our muscles.
Iron deficiency can lead to a lack of myoglobin, which is a protein that transports oxygen to muscles including those in the tongue.
Cells in the tongue will have a hard time obtaining oxygen when there is not enough of it, which can lead to cells dying off and results in the surface having a smooth appearance.
Papillae (small bumps on the surface of a tongue) don’t develop as new cells are regenerated because of this lack of oxygen.
Dry hair and skin
Weatherhead says that when you have an iron deficiency, the blood can’t provide as much oxygen to your skin and hair, causing it to become dry or damaged.
In more severe cases, patients can experience hair loss. An estimated eight million women in the UK experience this condition.
What’s the deal with iron supplements?
Iron supplements can be confusing because there are so many variables, like absorption levels and constipation.
‘People can use two different types of iron supplements, those which contain ferrous form and those which contain the ferric form.’
….even more confused? We understand – we’ve all been there.
Ferric iron is less reactive than ferrous iron, meaning it has a much lower chance of acting as an oxidizing agent once within the body.
Ferric EDTA, a specific form of ferric iron, has been the subject of a large clinical trial demonstrating its superiority over other forms.
A study in Tanzania showed that a 5 mg dose of this iron form had the same effect on hemoglobin levels as a 10 mg ferrous iron supplement.
‘This form of iron has the fewer health risks and oxidative stress effects than other ferrous forms,’ says Weatherhead.
What side effects should I watch out for?
Many people are wary of taking iron supplements because they fear being constipated.
‘If you are currently taking an iron supplement or any other type of medication which travels through the gastrointestinal tract, they will have very unpleasant side effects’ according to Weatherhead.
“Iron is hard on the digestive tract” he explains, “and only a fraction of it will be absorbed.”
Iron in ferrous form has known side effects not found with the more common ferric form.
Which form of iron is best?
In addition to tablet forms, iron is also available in liquid form. Health food stores and pharmacies carry it in the form of iron liquids.
But a new form of iron that can be applied to the skin via spray could be the most absorbable form on the market today.
The study showed that oral spray is 2.5 times as effective and faster absorbing than capsules, plus, it doesn’t require food or water intake to take effect.