Iron deficiency, which means insufficient iron mineral in the body due to malnutrition or certain diseases, is manifested by symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, restlessness, headache and dizziness. Stating that vitamin C increases the absorption of iron, experts emphasize that it is important to consume eggs with orange juice or tomato and meatballs with green salad to increase the absorption of iron. According to experts, iron absorption decreases when spinach is consumed with yogurt; spinach should be cooked with eggs.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım said that iron deficiency means insufficient iron mineral in the body due to malnutrition or some diseases.
Stating that according to the definition of the World Health Organization, Hemoglobin (Hb) lower than 12 in women and lower than 14 in men is determined as anemia (anemia), Dr. Yıldırım said, "The most common cause of anemia in the world is iron deficiency. According to statistics, anemia due to iron deficiency is seen in 35% of women, 20% of men and 50% of pregnant women in the world, and it is the most common health problem in undeveloped and developing countries."
Why is iron important?
Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım said, "What makes iron so important is that it is the basic element of Hemoglobin (Hb), the building block of the cells we call red blood cells (RBC) in the blood, which is responsible for the transport of the Oxygen molecule that provides the energy production necessary for the life and function of our cells and the removal of the Carbon Dioxide produced as waste. Age, gender, whether a woman is pregnant or not, whether she is puerperant or not, daily sports activity rate, the reserve ratio in iron stores change the parameters for the diagnosis of iron deficiency."
It causes weakness, fatigue and headache
Stating that iron deficiency symptoms occur in different ways, Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım said the following:
"When iron deficiency is found in a person; weakness, fatigue, restlessness, headache, dizziness, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, chest pain complaints develop and cause restless leg syndrome, desire to eat normally inedible substances such as soil, lime and ice, heart diseases and developmental retardation. In our examination, we see pallor, dry skin, blue sclera (the white part of the eye), loss of taste buds on the tongue, sores around the lips and chin, separation and breakage of nails, hair loss, and even pockets in the esophagus on gastroscopy."
Stating that although there are many factors that cause iron deficiency, these can be gathered under 4 main headings, Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım listed them as follows:
Inadequate intake: Improper nutrition, pregnancy, menstruation, puerperium, growth period, such as not taking the amount to meet the increase in need during the day.
Malabsorption: Celiac disease, Atrophic / H. Pylori related gastritis, Bariatric Surgery.
Blood loss: Digestive system diseases (such as ulcers, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, colon cancer). Micro bleeding due to trauma, urinary tract diseases (infections, some kidney diseases and cancers).
Genetic diseases: Urino-pulmonary hemosiderosis, iron-refractory iron deficiency anemia (IRIDA).
Children, pregnant women and nursing mothers are at risk
Stating that people who think that they have iron deficiency or anemia and vegetarians should definitely consult a physician, Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım said, "Children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, who are considered as risk groups, should be checked periodically. After clarifying the diagnosis of iron deficiency and anemia, appropriate treatment options are decided for individuals according to the severity of anemia. At the same time, by determining the cause, if the cause is inadequate intake, inappropriate nutrition, we should give the necessary advice with supplements; if it is malabsorption and blood loss, we need to eliminate the cause with the necessary tests."
Aluminum storage containers and steel pots reduce absorption
Stating that in addition to the regular use of medications, some nutritional recommendations should be taken into consideration in daily life, Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım listed her recommendations as follows:
- Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron. For this reason, it is important to consume eggs with orange juice or tomatoes and meatballs with green salad to increase the absorption of iron.
- Iron in yeast bread is absorbed more than unleavened bread.
- Poorly cooked legumes or wholemeal bread reduce the absorption of iron.
- Eating foods with fiber reduces the absorption of iron.
- Aluminum, stainless steel and tin that we use to store food also reduce the absorption of iron.
- One way to prevent iron deficiency is not to consume tea and coffee during or immediately after a meal. Try to consume tea and coffee as much as possible during snacks. It is also useful to consume tea open and with lemon.
- Dried fruits such as dried apricots, raisins, dried mulberries,
- Green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard),
- Hazelnuts, peanuts and sesame seeds,
- Liver, red meat, chicken and fish,
- Eggs,
- Molasses and grapes,
- Dried legumes,
- Eat eggs with orange juice.
- Cook legumes with meat.
- Always consume plenty of greens at every meal.
- Iron absorption decreases when spinach is consumed with yogurt. Cooking spinach with eggs increases its bioavailability.
- Iron in grains and legumes is absorbed more when legume and grain dishes are consumed with a salad with plenty of parsley, lettuce, tomato and lemon. In addition, iron intake increases when these foods are cooked with minced meat, meat pieces or chicken.
- People with severe iron deficiency should consume calcium-containing foods such as milk, yogurt and buttermilk in snacks, not with meals. Because calcium has the ability to slow down the absorption of iron.
- At breakfast, 1 to 2 teaspoons of molasses meets most of the daily iron requirement. Especially carob molasses contains high iron.
- In snacks; dried fruits such as apricots, mulberries and raisins contribute to the daily iron intake.
People with metabolic diseases should consult a doctor
Prof. Dr. Güzin Oğuz Yıldırım warned, "All these general nutrition recommendations are valid unless you have various risky diseases that should not be eaten, and you should definitely consult your physician about foods."
