Symptoms of Low Iron and how to fix it

Introduction 

Iron is an important mineral for various activities in the body. Without iron a lot of things cannot work in the body.  Two main  types of iron have been identified.  Heme iron and non heme iron.  Heme iron are mostly those that come from animal protein and are   more easily absorbed and some iron cannot be easily absorbed non heme iron. some foods  such as grains contain iron but some of these irons have restrictive anti-nutrients that makes it not easily accessed and that is why it is important to ensure that we include a little bit of animal protein in our diet instead of just going only plant-based and grains.  

Iron deficiency is not so common among older adults, teenagers especially teenage girls are more committed to having  iron deficiency and only in rare cases do we have iron deficiency in older adults and sometimes maybe due to some health challenges or maybe accidents restrictive dieting due to health problems and a host of other factors could lead to iron deficiency in older adults and when iron deficiency occurs,  almost everything in the body does not work well anymore because the cells cannot even be oxygenated and without oxygen in the cells they cannot function optimally.  it is sufficient iron that enables this work to be done so it is important to ensure that there is enough iron in the body coming from the foods we eat.

Some common symptoms of iron deficiency includes:

Coldness all over the body.

feeling dizzy 

insomnia 

extreme tiredness

 Anxiety attacks

 Shortness of breath

Inflamed tongues

Frequent headaches especially in the morning 

Increased inflammations

Increased Depression feelings

Washed out skin

Slow healing of wounds

Low immunity against diseases

The above symptoms are just a few of the numerous symptoms and sometimes unexplainable symptoms and general feeling of being unwell including loss of appetite.  If you suspect low iron or you are experiencing more of these symptom, I do not suggest or recommend you go for blood tonic because most of these over the counter tonics are highly inflammatory and in some cases does not solve the problem, the best and tested way I have known  is to include iron rich foods and ensure you are consuming variety, iron is found in fruits, vegetable, grains, meat, nuts , seeds and even fatty foods.  As already highlighted some iron are categorised as heme iron, these are easily understood and absorbed by our body like sardines, beaf,  eggs . None Heme iron are not easily absorbed like those found in most grains and some synthetic iron from  multivitamins tablets that most people clamour for.  

Here are top iron rich foods to include in your diet if you need iron naturally:

Soyabeans

Beets root

Beaf

Moringa leaves

Dates

Chia seeds

Cinnamon 

Tomatoes

Soghurm Bicolour 

Millet

Carrot

Kale

Hemp seeds

Hibiscus flower tea

Black eyed cowpea

Black pepper

Broccoli 

Sweet potatoes

Avocadoes

Almonds 

Green peas

Mangoes

Pawpaw fruit 

Pumpkin seeds

Cocoa

Pumpkin leaves (Ugu)

Pomegranate fruit

Sardines

Unriped plantain

Spinach

Summary 

There are a lot of  other foods that boosts iron in the body, older adults should however beware of consuming too much of iron rich foods as too much iron may increase risk of bacteria attack or infection.  It is also important to consume vitamin C Rich foods  to help the absorption of iron in the  body.  Moderation remains our rule

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