Let's Talk About Iron Deficiency - Part I
What is iron deficiency?
Iron is a trace mineral found in our food that is essential for our body to be healthy. However, millions of people all over the world suffer with iron deficiency.
What does iron do in the body?
Iron is such an important mineral and is involved in a variety of jobs within the body, such as:
Transporting Oxygen: Iron carries oxygen throughout the body, that's why when you are low in iron you feel so tired because your body is struggling to carry oxygen around your body
Energy Production: on a teeny tiny microscopic level, iron is involved in supporting the mitochondria within our cells to produce energy. If you took high school biology you may remember learning about the little energy producing mitochondria, this is another reason why you're so fatigued when your iron levels are low.
Supports the Immune System: iron is needed to support our immune system's T cells, and macrophages (Paxton, 2015). These are like the little defence soldiers of our immune system, keeping viruses and bacteria under control when they get into our body's. So when your iron levels are low, you're more likely to get sick with a cold or flu, or it takes you longer than it used to to get over a cold and flu.
Detoxification of Toxins & Waste: iron helps the body's natural built-in detoxification processes and assists in breaking down alcohol, drugs, and metabolic waste to be excreted from the body (Paxton, 2015).
Neurotransmitter Production: we need iron to help our body to produce neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are molecules that act as chemical messengers in the body. Some neurotransmitters you may have heard of are dopamine and serotonin. These two are very important for our mood and motivation, without enough iron our body struggles to make these neurotransmitters properly which can put as at an increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders, or making these conditions worse (Lee, Chao, Huang, Chen, & Yang, 2020).
Collagen Production: Iron is utilised in the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein that is found in our connective tissue, it is important for our skin, tendons, bones, cartilage, and is important for our entire body's structural integrity (Paxton, 2015).
Supports Thyroid Function: Iron is needed to turn iodine into thyroid hormones (Paxton, 2015). Our thyroid hormones regulate the metabolism of all cells within the body and when our thyroid is dysfunctional we can experience signs and symptoms such as rapid weight gain or weight loss, feeling more cold than others, or more hot than others, experiencing a low mood, changes to our bowel habits, etc.
What are the signs of iron deficiency?
Fatigue
Brain fog
Forgetful
Feeling dissociated
Shortness of breath
Cold hands and feet
Brittle nails
Spoon nails (concave nails)
Cheilosis (painful cracking and crusting at the corners of the mouth) (Braunstein, 2022)
Feeling weak and dizzy
Restless leg syndrome
Pica - cravings to eat non-food substances such as ice, dirt, paint (Braunstein, 2022)
Pale eyelids and pale gums
Important note: Why you shouldn't self-diagnose and self-prescribe
While it may seem like you are experiencing iron deficiency symptoms, it is important to note that these symptoms can be indicative of a range of medical conditions. Therefore, self-diagnosing iron deficiency is not recommended, even if you check all the boxes for the common symptoms.
The best way to accurately determine if you are iron deficient is by consulting with your healthcare practitioner. They can order a blood test to confirm if you have low levels of iron, and can then recommend appropriate treatment from there. It is important to note that having too much iron in your system can also be harmful, so taking an iron supplement without confirming that you have low iron levels is not recommended.
Thanks for reading,
Stay tuned for part II where I will talk about the treatment options for iron deficiency.
References
Braunstein, E. M. (2022). Iron Deficiency Anaemia. Retrieved from https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-au/professional/hematology-and-oncology/anemias-caused-by-deficient-erythropoiesis/iron-deficiency-anemia?query=iron%20deficiency
Lee, H. S., Chao, H. H., Huang, W. T., Chen, S. C. C., & Yang, H. Y. (2020). Psychiatric disorders risk in patients with iron deficiency anemia and association with iron supplementation medications: A nationwide database analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 20(216). https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02621-0
Paxton, F. (2015). Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition: A comprehensive guide to essential nutrients and nutritional bioactives. Allen & Unwin