What Women Need to Know About Taking Iron Supplements

Iron is a mineral that is essential for our human body. Some people decide to take iron supplements which ensure that you get an adequate amount of iron. If you don’t take iron according to the body’s requirement then your body uses stored iron. This results in fewer red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body and remove carbon dioxide. When anyone suffers from iron-deficiency anemia, doctors recommend iron supplements for anemia to kids, women, and men.

The role of iron in the blood and its function

Iron is an essential element for all living organisms because it participates in metabolic processes, from the transportation of oxygen and electrons, to the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Exchange processes

One of the most important functions of iron is to synthesize a compound that forms hemoglobin (a protein found in red blood cells). The main role of hemoglobin is to transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues to support basic life functions. Without healthy red blood cells, a person cannot get enough oxygen, which leads to a drop in strength, a feeling of fatigue, and exhaustion.

The trace mineral is also essential for the creation and growth of immune cells and ensures maximum brain performance by supporting cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, learning, and problem-solving ability.

Energy

Human cells require iron to convert food energy into ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid), which is the body’s main source of energy. A low iron content means less ATP is produced, a lack of which leads to rapid fatigue.

Iron rate

The activity of cellular respiration and, accordingly, the need for iron depends on many factors: gender, age, height, weight, physical and mental stress, metabolic rate. But there are generally accepted averaged norms approved by the WHO.

In men

In healthy men, the iron norm is higher than in women, and ranges from 12 to 31 μmol / l with a hemoglobin content of 126 to 174 g/l. It is associated with testosterone production. In athletes, pilots, and residents of highlands, hemoglobin, as a rule, is slightly exceeded, which, however, does not affect their well-being.

Among women

The norm for women is from 9 to 30 μmol / l with hemoglobin from 117 to 161 g/l. Pregnant women have a low level of iron, since all the body’s reserves are spent on the formation of the fetus and maintaining its vital activity, therefore it is so important to monitor the level of iron in the blood during pregnancy.

In children

Since children are actively growing and their need for Fe (iron) is higher, indicators of 7.2–18 μmol/l (hemoglobin 220 g/l) are considered the norm for infants under one year old, from one to 14 years old — 9–21.5 μmol/l (hemoglobin 110–150 g/l). Kids suffering from a deficiency are usually recommended iron supplements for kids.

Disorders of iron metabolism in the body are quite common and entail a wide range of diseases with various clinical manifestations: from anemia to iron overload and neurodegenerative changes.

The consequences of iron deficiency

With insufficient treatment and a long course of iron deficiency anemia, oxygen deprivation occurs in all tissues of the human body. First of all, the brain and kidneys are affected as the organs most in need of oxygen. It is also possible: continuously

• decreased immunity;
• disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system (myocardial dystrophy, cardiovascular failure);
• deterioration of the liver;
• for women, disruptions in the menstrual cycle;
• complications from the nervous system;
• hypoxic coma.
• Excess iron

In a healthy person, the intestine regulates the absorption of iron from food and the body absorbs the mineral in the amount that is necessary for life. In some cases, the process is disrupted and the person receives an excessive amount of Fe.

Since excess iron cannot be quickly utilized, it accumulates in organ tissues, mainly in the liver, heart, and pancreas.

There are several types of iron overload disorders collectively known as hemochromatosis: hereditary (primary), secondary, juvenile, and neonatal.

Hereditary hemochromatosis occurs due to a mutation in the HFE gene, which is responsible for the absorption of iron.

Secondary hemochromatosis develops as a result of some types of anemia caused by liver disease, or with blood transfusion and uncontrolled intake of iron-containing drugs.

Juvenile hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder in which the HJV gene is affected. Symptoms appear between the ages of 15 and 30 and include diabetes, puberty problems.

Neonatal hemochromatosis of newborns develops so quickly that the baby can die in the womb or in the first months after birth.

Symptoms of excess iron:

• Fatigue
• weakness
• weight loss
• stomach ache
• high blood sugar
• hyperpigmentation, the skin becomes bronze
• decreased libido

Over time, hemochromatosis can lead to hypothyroidism, diabetes, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, arthritis, and pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Iron foods

Dietary iron can be heme and non-heme. Heme is a form in which an iron ion is surrounded by a ring molecule called porphyrin, which is enriched in animal protein. Plant foods contain non-heme iron. Heme iron is most fully and qualitatively assimilated by the human body.

Products with heme iron:

• offal (liver, heart, kidney, brain)
• shellfish
• red meat
• a fish.

Plant foods containing non-heme iron:

• beans
• broccoli
• spinach
• nuts
• Raisin
• rice

Iron supplement side effects

Iron supplements for women can be harmful if the person is ingesting more than the daily iron intake. Due to the high dose of iron supplements. People may suffer from:-

• Nausea
• constipation
• flatulence
• diarrhea

It leads to conditions such as iron poisoning, and iron overload disorder.

Some symptoms of iron toxicity include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea

Doctors or Healthcare professionals will only recommend taking iron supplements. People who have a normal level of iron have no need to take an iron supplement. If a person thinks that they may have iron deficiency or be at risk of developing it, then he/she should consult a doctor/health specialist.

Resource Link: https://vitaminsworld.medium.com/what-women-need-to-know-about-taking-iron-supplements-ac0dc212e6bc