Iron is one of the most needed minerals in the body, however in Australia many do not get enough from their diet. Estimates suggest that 40% of females aged 12 – 50 years receive less than the recommended daily intake of Iron. Up to one in three women will be diagnosed as iron deficient by age 50.
Iron is important for energy production, general health and well being and mental state. If you are not getting enough iron, your body’s iron stores slowly deplete and can lead to an iron deficiency called Anaemia. The main symptoms of low iron include tiredness, headache, irritability, depression and gastrointestinal complaints such as flatulence, constipation and
bloating.
Iron deficiency in children can also have negative effects on learning and concentration.
Iron deficiency can come from not getting enough in our diet, poorly absorbing the iron that we do eat, excessive exercise, heavy menstruation, pregnancy or a combination of these factors.
Some of the best foods to get iron from are meat, fish, dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach, nuts, seeds and raisins.
If you have been diagnosed with low iron, your doctor will most probably recommend an iron supplement.
When choosing an Iron supplement, the form of Iron is very important as not all are absorbed
the same.
The traditional form of iron was Iron Sulfate, though in recent times a new form used is Iron Amino Acid Chelate (Iron Diglycinate).
Iron Sulfate is poorly absorbed when compared to Iron Diglycinate, and stomach upsets like constipation are common complaints I see with my customers. Iron diglycinate is able to correct iron deficiency as effectively as Iron Sulfate, however you only need 25% of the amount of Iron Sulfate and do not have the risks of gut upsets.
