The iron diet: tips and foods to prevent deficiency

The iron it is a micronutrient that we often hear about, but even more often underestimated: dizziness, irritability, hair loss are all very common disorders, which can be traced back to a deficiency, but are often addressed with a “Eat more spinach”, Grandma’s advice is always valid, but may not be enough to compensate for an important shortcoming.

Yes why Iron is a micronutrient essential for health and precisely to point out and raise awareness of this, the November 26 is International Iron Deficiency Day.

Iron is the protagonist or whatever participates in numerous vital functions of our organism: it intervenes in the production of red blood cells; it is a key component of hemoglobin and myoglobin, proteins responsible for the transport and supply of oxygen to all tissues; assists the energy production processes of our cells; ensures effective functioning of the heart and brain.

Globally, Iron deficiency affects approximately 40% of the world’s population. In Italy, 3 people out of 10 are faced with this deficit and despite these numbers, it is still an underestimated problem, especially due to the difficulty in isolating them symptomsgenerally nonspecific. Tiredness, frequent headaches, shortness of breath, pale complexion, brittle hair and nails, but also irritability, poor concentration, greater exposure to infections are all problems apparently unrelated to each other, but which could have as a common factor an insufficiency of levels of iron.

The causes of this deficit are various: for example physiological or occasional blood losses, defects in mineral absorption linked to particular pathologies or an inadequate diet poor in this micronutrient.

«Iron deficiency is the most widespread mineral deficiency in the human species – comments the doctor Franco VicariottoSpecialist in obstetrics and gynecology – Unbalanced diets or intense sporting activity can accentuate it, while there are physiological situations (pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstrual cycle, growth and senescence) which may require an increase in your daily intake. Here’s a diet or supplement based on ironwhich contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, associated with C vitaminwhich increases its absorption and al copperwhich contributes to the normal transport of iron in the body, can be a good solution.”

Iron is present in foods in two forms, such as heme iron, which is found essentially in meat and fish, and how non-heme iron, present mainly in plant products. Heme iron is highly bioavailable (25-30%); the absorption of non-heme iron is instead lower and more variable (1-10%). Here it is, if the guidelines recommend an intake between 10 and 18 milligrams dailyWithout sufficient reserves available, the human body does not have the energy to function properly and the impact of the deficiency can translate into a worsening of the quality of life and even of health. By adapting your diet, therefore, many iron deficits can be contained.

So what are the foods associated with a “strict diet”? In first place is the meatnot only the red one, but also the turkey, chicken and guinea fowl ones. Liver and offal they are rich in heme iron. Silver medal for fish: the blue one in particular has good percentages of iron. In this typology, sardines stand out, but also anchovies, swordfish, mackerel and tuna.

Also on the podium egg yolk. In fact, chicken milk contains up to 2.7 mg of iron per 100 g; the duck one reaches up to 3.8 mg.

Among the vegetable alternatives, however, we find the soy: for every 100 g, 8 mg of non-heme iron are calculated. Furthermore, the shopping cart cannot miss legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, ei mushroomswhich in turn contain good doses of iron, especially dry ones.

We then add it to the shopping list too dried fruitwith pistachios and cashews among the most recommended and cereals such as bran. Also spices and aromatic herbs they have (proportionally) very high quantities of iron: depending on your preferences you can opt for thyme, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, sage, fennel seeds. Finally, excellent allies for our well-being are green leafy vegetables, such as radicchio and spinach (overrated as a useful source).

How to build a “strict diet”, also focusing on integration? We asked them Guna experts, leading realities in the field of physiological nutraceuticals and systems medicine, who suggested the following handbook.

Follow a varied and balanced diet, alternating between meat and vegetable solutions.

If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, balance your diet by obtaining iron from alternative sources to meat: legumes, nuts, whole grains, mushrooms are good vegetal sources, such as certain dried fruit (apricots and figs), accompanied by dark green leafy vegetables.

We have seen how vitamin C helps the absorption of iron. Therefore, combine foods rich in iron with sources of vitamin C (for example: lemon as a condiment, or other citrus fruits) or introduce kiwis.

Avoid products that reduce iron absorption, such as dairy products, coffee, and tea.

Supports daily iron needs through targeted supplementation, in case of decreased intake or increased needs. For example, Ferrogunaa Guna food supplement, provides 100% of the nutritional reference value established for Iron, together with Copper and Vitamin C. But be careful with the “do it yourself”: you must be followed by your doctor or supported by the advice of your trusted pharmacist or nutritionist.