Did you know that iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world? This element plays a critical role in human health, but it is what we most often lack.
Iron deficiency is especially detrimental to women and children. It leads to a feeling of general weakness and fatigue, drowsiness, deterioration of the skin, nails, and hair, as well as problems with the blood.
What you need to know about iron levels
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), iron deficiency affects more people than any other health problem.
The rate of iron for a person depends on his age, gender, and physical condition. So, women need more iron than men, because each menstruation leads to a significant loss of this element. For this reason, the norm for a girl will be about 18 mg, but for a guy, 10 mg is enough. As for pregnant and lactating mothers, they need even more iron – 33 mg/day and 38 mg/day, respectively. The largest amount of iron is required by the growing body of a child – 4-18 mg/day for children under 14 years old and 11-15 mg/day for children under 18 years old.
Signs of iron deficiency
The main signs of iron deficiency are fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, headache, changes in taste perception, pallor, brittle nails, and hair. But since many of these symptoms can be attributed to lack of sleep or everyday stress, most people don’t even notice that their body is deficient in iron.
The main sources of iron
The best way to prevent iron deficiency is, of course, a balanced diet. The main dietary sources of iron are liver and meat (especially red meat – beef and veal). The menu should also include dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, dill, parsley), legumes, egg yolk, cocoa, lentils, buckwheat, citrus fruits, nuts and whole grains.
But do not forget that not only iron deficiency is dangerous – an excess of this substance also harms our body. More than 200 mg causes severe poisoning, more than 7-35 g – death.
