19/04/2021
Hey Team☺️ I thought today, we would discuss iron deficiency.
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Iron is a mineral that is vital for healthy body function, although we only need it in quite small quantities. Despite only needing relatively small quantities, iron deficiency is the most common vitamin/mineral deficiency in the world and is most likely to affect children and women of child bearing age.
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Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are very common but that doesn’t mean you should do a Dr Google, self-diagnose, and start randomly popping vitamins from the local drug store or chemist. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies should be diagnosed by your trusted doctor 👩⚕️ and supplements 💊 should only be taken if there is deficiency. You need to be particularly careful with Vitamins A, D, E and K as these are fat soluble vitamins (they dissolve in fat instead of water), therefore they can build up in the body.
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Back to iron deficiency … Signs and symptoms of iron deficiency include lethargy and fatigue 🥱, weakness, brittle nails, pale skin and feeling cold. As with all vitamin or mineral deficiencies the same symptoms could be due to a number of causes and this is another reason to seek professional medical support. Iron is high in red meat so if you are a meat eater with an iron deficiency you may want to consider an extra serve or two per week of red meat. If you are vegetarian or vegan🥦 and iron deficient you need to make sure you consume your sources of iron along with Vitamin C. Iron from animal sources, known as haem iron, is more readily absorbed by the body. Iron from non-animal sources, non-haem iron, needs to “piggy back” on Vitamin C to be absorbed by the digestive system. Foods high in Vitamin C include: citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice 🍊, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes.
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If you think you or someone in your family might be iron deficient make an appointment to discuss your concerns with your local doctor 👩⚕️.