Iron is an essential nutrient for the human body. It needs to be obtained from food. It is a component of heme and myoglobin and is involved in the transportation and utilization of oxygen. If iron is insufficient, it is easy to feel dizzy, tired, breathless, and even hair loss. , unhealthy nails and other conditions . Groups prone to deficiency include vegetarians, athletes, women with heavy menstrual bleeding, the elderly with poor appetite, and children, teenagers and pregnant women in the rapid growth stage.
First, let me introduce you to the three stages of anemia and the corresponding indicators:
In order to give everyone a preliminary understanding of the concept of anemia, let us first explain the formation of heme: the human body must first absorb the raw material of hemoglobin - iron from food, and then store it in the warehouse for inventory of raw materials (iron storage protein). When the factory needs When making heme, a truck (iron saturation) will carry the iron to the factory (bone marrow) for production, and the final product is heme. Hemoglobin is generally used to diagnose anemia . However, hemoglobin is already the final product, so you can go one step further and test ferritin to confirm whether the raw materials in the warehouse are sufficient to evaluate earlier anemia .
If you have mild iron deficiency anemia, you can supplement it through your diet. The divalent blood matrix iron in animal foods has a high utilization rate and an absorption rate of about 20 to 30% , such as foie gras, duck blood, goose legs, pork liver, eggs, clams, pork loin, etc. The iron in plant foods is trivalent non-blood matrix iron with poor absorption rate. The absorption rate is about 5~20% , but the total iron content is still rich, including red cabbage, seaweed, nostoc, black sesame, Wild rice balls, red amaranth, dried Sichuan fungus, white sesame seeds, flaxseeds, etc. Foods with vitamin C after meals can also increase the absorption of iron , such as guava, citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, etc. It is also worth noting that drinking tea and coffee one hour before and two hours after meals will interfere with iron absorption .
However, if the anemia is more severe, or if the anemia cannot be improved by diet, you can consider supplementing iron. However, side effects such as constipation, flatulence, and loss of appetite often occur. Here is a list of common iron supplements on the market. Dosage form helps you find the dosage form that suits you.
The order of absorption rate is: heme iron>ferrous iron>trivalent iron>reduced iron
- Divalent iron includes: ferrous glycinate, ferrous succinate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous citrate, etc.
- Ferric iron includes: ferric chloride, ferric citrate, ferric pyrophosphate, etc.
- Reduced iron includes: carbonyl iron, electrolytic iron, etc.
Regarding the dose, dosage form, and how long it takes to supplement, it is recommended to discuss with medical professionals based on the blood draw results before supplementing, because more iron is not always better, and too much iron can easily cause oxidative stress, which is harmful to health. harm .
In addition to iron, other important hematopoietic nutrients cannot be ignored
Hematopoietic nutrients refer to nutrients that can promote the normal operation of the human hematopoietic system. The hematopoietic system includes bone marrow, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In addition to iron, don’t ignore the following hematopoietic raw materials :
- Iron: Iron is a component of heme, a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues throughout the body. Iron deficiency may cause anemia
- Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is essential for the normal formation of red blood cells. It is involved in the synthesis of red blood cells and maintains the health of the nervous system. Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause megaloblastic anemia
- Folate: Folate is a member of the B vitamin group and plays an important role in the synthesis and repair of red blood cells. It is especially important for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects in the fetus
- Vitamin C (Vitamin C): Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron and improves iron utilization. This is important in preventing iron deficiency anemia
- Copper: Copper is a trace element that plays an important role in iron transport and the formation of red blood cells.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A plays a role in normal red blood cell formation and immune system function.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E may help protect red blood cells from oxidative damage
- Protein: Protein is an important component of red blood cells and is necessary for cell growth and repair.
