Iron Deficiency

Did you know that Iron Deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world?

Iron is critical for so many of the body’s functions, but specifically, oxygen transportation and energy production. Iron is used for making blood cells, blood cells carry oxygen and oxygen keeps us energized. That’s a very short & simple version of that.

With that simplistic explanation, it’s understandable that fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of iron deficiency. Other symptoms, though are chelitis, which is the cracking of the skin on the corners of your lips, gingivitis, ulcers in the mouth,  pale skinand poor growth of the hair and nails.

How do we become deficient? One way of course is by not taking in enough iron, but another is not absorbing the iron we do get because of things like celiac disease, certain medication’s blocking the absorption, infections in the gut, leaky gut

and blood loss.

You might be thinking, oh, well, if everyone is deficient, maybe I should just start taking iron. But not so fast because as we know, balance is important. If there is too much iron, there is a much bigger problem. Iron is technically a metal and can be deposited in any organ in the body and once it’s there, it’s very difficult to eliminate. So imagine a liver that is clogged up with iron. The liver is what clears and detoxifies our body and works sort of like an oil filter on a car. When it oil filter is clogged up, the car doesn’t run very well.  It is beleived that iron accumulation can cause certain neurological problems like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. As if that isn’t enough, iron imbalance can also lead to osteoporosis, a poor immune system, frequent infections, and kidney disease.

So now you may want to know what causes iron overload?

Iron overload can come from certain hereditary disorders, taking in excessive amounts of iron or not being able to process the iron correctly due to things like chronic alcohol use and even fatty liver.

It is important to know sources of iron in food so that you can either increase these foods if iron deficient or avoid if you have an iron overload.

Sources of Iron: Organ Meats, like liver, Oysters, Tofu, Soybeans, Most all Beans, Lentils, Spinach,  Sardines and Pumpkin Seeds.

Bottom line? Get an evaluation. If you’re tired, get your iron checked. If you have the symptoms mentioned for deficiency or excess, get your iron levels checked. It’s a simple blood test.

My goal with these more educational topics on health are to keep you in the know. I hope to keep you from chasing the latest and greatest supplement that you hear about or trying to figure it out on your own, because sometimes that can cause more harm that good.

If you are, indeed, diagnosed with iron deficiency, replenish with food sources and add in a little vitamin C, which helps iron absorb better.

As always, you can find more about this in our Health Corner at healthinterventions.net. If you need an evaluation for chronic fatigue, or you think that iron might be one of your problems and you would like to see one of our providers you can schedule at Prestige Family Health Care in Cumberland, MD, Spring Valley Family Care, in Springfield, West Virginia or online at NPClinicOnline.