Iron: Why Do Women Need This Nutrient More Than Men

Have people around telling you that you’re looking pale and for some reason, you’re also feeling tired, dizzy and there is inflammation and soreness on your tongue? Perhaps these are the signs of iron deficiency. Especially, if you are a grown-up woman, the lack of this particular nutrient in the body is common. While there are a lot of women suffering from iron deficiency around the globe, in India, around 50 per cent females have extremely less iron content in their bodies, reportedly, as percentral ministry of health and family welfare's 2017 data. Iron is vital for several reasons, but the most significant among them is blood production, especially in women’s bodies. Read on to know why!

Menstruation

We women, can’t stop or run away from our monthly menstruation cycles, no matter how tiring, painful, and exhausting it is due to the monthly blood loss. However, we do need to take care of ourselves, in order to make up for the lost blood and iron content of the body. If with growing age your nails and palms are turning pale, you feel annoyed most of the time and tired, its best to get tested for iron deficiency in the body and find a way to fulfil that. If the cause of less iron content is menstruation, after menopause everything will go back to normal, only if you keep on taking a balanced diet throughout.

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Pregnancy

Even the fittest women can become iron deficient after their pregnancy, despite taking many precautions. During the pregnancy, many are prescribed iron supplements as it forms the placenta, an organ that develops in your uterus. Not only for you, but the iron you consume is also vital for your baby, as, during the initial months after the baby is born, he/she rely on the iron provided by their mother. It is recommended to eat food rich in vitamin C along with iron to increase your body's blood absorption capacity during pregnancy.

Women Need More Red Blood Cells To Carry Oxygen

As discussed earlier, iron is responsible for blood production in the body. And, according to health reports, about 70 per cent of iron is present in the red blood cells, called hemoglobin. If you lack in iron, it will become hard for transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues. Especially, the female athletes are at an increased risk for iron deficiency. Therefore, it is recommended to follow a good diet that comprises of food items like beans, lentils, tofu, potatoes, cashews, dark green leafy vegetables, cereals, whole-grain bread, etc. Also, it is a must for them to get their iron level tested once in a while.

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Women 's Body Can’t Absorb Iron

In comparison to men, women can’t absorb consumed iron so well. Other than some natural causes, it happens because of certain disorders and surgeries. These most likely affect the intestines and interfere with how your body absorbs iron. The worst part is, even if you start consuming iron-rich food items in your daily diet, celiac disease or intestinal surgery such as gastric bypass may limit the amount of iron your body can absorb. So, if you had any such surgeries in the past, the smart thing to do is, consulting your doctor, to keep yourself from any ill-effects that are caused by lack of iron in the body.

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