Iron deficiency in women is quite common as women are more susceptible to have inadequate amounts of iron in their blood. This could be due to many reasons. The number one is they lose blood on a regular basis in their menstrual periods though it is considered to be a normal physiological process. In this way, men are less likely to develop iron deficiency. Apart from this, there is several reasons right from disliking towards healthy iron rich foods to natural decreased immune system of body.
The reason behind production of hemoglobin is low iron levels that decrease amounts of erythropoieses (the hormone EPO that is responsible for RBC production) that regulates it. Hemoglobin is the component of blood carrying vital gas oxygen. According to one study, in women (childbearing age) suffering from iron deficiency, a high-iron diet caused little increases in serum ferritin as compared to iron supplements but it resulted in constant improvement in iron status as observed in a 6-month follow-up1.
As said before, during menstrual cycles of high training volume, reduction in body weight or menstruation iron deficiency is quite a common observation. Clinical trials reveal that 50 per cent of the women runners are iron deficient! Such women are unaware of their conditions since simply feeling chilled or cold could be a warning sign of low iron levels those are completely ignored. Iron deficiency can reduce working capacity and so the productivity2.
Nature of iron deficiency during pregnancy is physiological. The woman loses approximately 2.5mg of iron a day. In addition, breastfeeding can also result in a loss of an extra milligram of iron a day. It is easy to tackle this till the woman is on excellent diet that supplies adequate amounts of iron and other essential supplements. If she falls behind these requirements, she is likely to develop iron deficiency anemia.
On the other hand, proper supplementation of iron will not only save woman from getting anemia but it can also make her intelligent! Young women who were supplied iron supplements for sixteen weeks markedly improved their attention and both the memories; short-term and long-term. Their overall performances on cognitive tasks were also observed improved3.
Another benefits woman get by getting regular iron supplements include healthy hair, skin and immunity. Iron supplements are important to have beautiful skin and healthy hair. A major French study to evaluate iron deficiency and hair loss reported that such deficiency can cause hair fall and dull hair4.
It is always advisable to have iron rich foods or supplements in order to prevent various health hazards in women. Additional iron supplements will keep woman healthy in any given stage. The report published in National Academy Press also puts light on iron supplementation and women’s health5.
http://www.facebook.com/SayMommy?sk=app_313892368644012