Do you have difficulty getting enough iron in your diets? Women of child-bearing age, vegetarians and those who eat less red meat, may struggle to get sufficient dietary iron. Iron is the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S. It’s important for your body, because iron is a component of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues.
Your body does not make iron. It is an essential nutrient that you must get from food. A shortage of iron can occur when you consume too little iron over an extended amount of time. A deficiency of iron can cause anemia, which may make you feel fatigued. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. With insufficient iron in your blood stream, the rest of your body can’t get the amount of oxygen it needs. In addition to poor iron intake, there are also medical conditions that can lead to iron deficiency anemia, such as stomach ulcers. The regular use of pain relievers, like aspirin, can also cause internal bleeding, that can lead to iron deficiency.
Luckily, there are plenty of good food choices that can help you meet your daily iron needs. Foods such as meat, eggs, and leafy green vegetables are high in iron. Other foods high in iron include legumes, pumpkin and squash seeds, raisins, seafood, organ meats, and quinoa (a versatile, gluten-free grain). Additionally, vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron, so including it in your diet is important, especially if you don’t eat much meat.
Any underlying condition, whether too much or too little iron in the blood, needs to be treated. But when deficiency is due to inadequate dietary intake, consumption of diets higher in iron and vitamin C can help to prevent it.