Why we need iron
Iron is a mineral that is vital to the human body, its role is to support metabolism, growth and immunity. The body needs iron to form haemoglobin and myoglobin, which are proteins that are found in red blood cells. This is important as red blood cells help to carry oxygen from the lungs to the bodies’ tissues and muscles. Simply, iron is essential for the body to have energy, muscle function, brain function and a healthy pregnancy.
Deficiency
Initially, Iron deficiency may be so mild that it can go unnoticed, but as the body becomes more deficient in iron, the symptoms will become more prominent. The most common symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, dizziness or light head-headedness. However, it can also be recognised after experiencing weakness, pale skin, chest pain, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, headache, cold hands and feet, inflammation or soreness of the tongue and brittle nails.
Anaemia is a byproduct of low iron and occurs when the blood doesn’t have enough haemoglobin or red blood cells. The treatment of this condition depends on the diagnosis as there a several types of anaemia, however, the most common type of anaemia is caused by iron deficiency and is treated with supplements, diet, or iron infusion to increase iron levels in the blood.
The amount of iron that an individual needs to consume daily is variable and can be impacted by a number of factors. For example, females have higher requirements due to menstrual bleeding, children and adolescents may
have increased needs due to demands of growth, and athletes may have higher requirements due to iron losses in sweat and repeated impact which destroys red blood cells at a faster rate e.g. runners impacting their feet on the ground.
Requirements
Below are the recommended dietary intakes (RDI) to be consumed daily for different age groups and genders to prevent deficiency:
Children 1-3 years old: 9mg
Children 4-8 years old: 10mg
Children 9-13 years old: 8mg
Girls 14-18 years old: 15mg
Boys 14-18 years old 11mg
Women 19 years to 50 years (or when menstruation ceases): 18mg
Women post menopause: 8mg
Pregnancy: 27mg per day
Men 19 years and over: 8mg
Types of iron
There are two forms of iron that can be consumed, haem or non-haem. The iron that comes from meat, fish and poultry can be either of the two. However, iron that comes from plant sources will only be non-haem. This is important because non-haem forms of iron are not as easily absorbed as haem iron due to these sources having fibre, oxalates and phytates, all of which are healthy but do have an impact on absorption. To ensure that the daily iron intake is met, integrate high iron foods into your diet. Some examples to incorporate can include, but are not limited to;
Red meat (beef, pork, lamb, kangaroo)
Sardines
Beans and lentils
Tofu
Eggs
Iron fortified cereals e.g. weet-bix
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Nuts, particularly cashews and pistachios
We recommend everyone get their iron checked as part of their annual blood test. For those at higher risk or with previous deficiency, this should be every 3-6 months.
