Iron deficiency anaemia by Dr Harold Gunatillake

Iron deficiency anaemia is quite common among women especially during child bearing age, among rich and the poor equally. It is difficult to explain why the rich and the affluent classes also should suffer from iron deficiency when they could well afford to buy foods rich in iron. The poorer classes suffer from malnutrition and iron deficiency due to poverty and the unhealthy environments they dwell.

Another reason why young women, including the teenagers become anaemic is due to irregular excessive uncontrollable menses. Doctors call this ‘menorrhagia. The simplest way to control this problem is to go on the contraceptive pill which automatically regulates the menses.

You must see your doctor if you are pale and find it difficult to do your daily routines.

The common symptoms are- extreme fatigue, pale skin, general body weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, frequent infections, headaches, brittle nails rapid heartbeat and so on.

Your doctor will do the necessary investigations to find out the cause, and invariably in most cases no cause is found.

In a situation when no specific cause is found consuming a high iron containing foods daily, will help.
Such foods are:

• Meat: any form of meat, including pork, has high concentrations of iron in the muscle tissues. Food has two types of iron-heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry and is the form of iron is most readily absorbed from your gut.
• Plant based iron sources contain non-heme iron, which is absorbed less efficiently than meat iron.
• Organ meats provide significant amounts of iron. In the past people recovering from chronic illnesses were given liver as the concentration of iron is very high and easily absorbed.
• Beef, poultry Lamb and seafood supply most of the heme-iron and those subjects having low iron in the blood should eat these foods daily to keep the iron level at optimum levels.
Men need 8 milligrams and women need about 18mg up to the age 50, and only about 8mg during the post-menopausal period. Pregnant mothers need about 27mg of iron per day.
• Fish: Seafood has much iron. Some of them whether from farm grown or otherwise have much iron, such as in Tuna, sardines, and mackerels. Shrimps and oysters are packed with iron.
• Dark, Leafy Vegies: There are many dark green vegetables containing iron. Some of them are spinach, kale and collards
• Tofu, beans, garbanzo, asparagus, broccoli have non-heme type of iron. Sipping a glass of fruit drink with vitamin C helps to take in iron better.
• Breakfast oat cereals are loaded with iron. Add some slices of fruit to boost the iron.
• Eggs have a healthy dose of iron. Each egg has 4.33 mg of iron in 100g.
• Other sources of iron are dried beans, soya beans, peas, dried fruits, whole grains including brown rice.
• Nuts and dried fruits like cashew or pistachios, raisins, prunes, dates and peaches, all have a fair amount of iron in them.
• Watermelon in each slice can have about 3 mg of iron. Bananas have about 1mg and an apple has 0.5mg.
• Chocolate lovers would like to know that you could pick up some iron when you nibble dark chocolate. A 3-ounce piece gives 7mg,
• Tea: Drinking black or pecko tea frequently can reduce the absorption of iron from food. There are substances in tea that binds the dietary iron preventing absorption.
• Athletes: Long distance runners and those with chronic gastro-intestinal disorders may lose iron.

Too much iron in the body results in a disorder called hemochromatosis, affects the body’s ability to control how much iron is absorbed. Blood removal may be required when the iron content is high.

Good advice by Dr harold
Some ref: to WebMD