Women and Iron A Guide to Anemia Prevention

Iron is one of the main nutrients that a woman must have a sufficient supply of. This is because a woman's unique situation when she needs more iron than men to supplement blood production to replace those lost during her menstrual period. Because of this, it becomes even more important for women to ensure that she has enough iron supply.

Understanding the Effects of iron deficiency

When a woman's body does not have sufficient supply of iron, the result is anemia. This is a common disease among women, especially those who pay scant attention to their iron intake. What is even more depressing to note is that some women are not even aware that they have anemia, until it is too late. To understand the anemia improved, there is shown below, the signs and symptoms of disease.

1) There is a general feeling of weakness, fatigue and malaise. Women often experience it during or at the first few days after menstruation. Because iron gives vitality to the body and add stability to the blood supply, lack of it results in an overall decrease in body activity. Poor concentration are also common among women with anemia.

2) There is shortness of breath when engaging themselves in the easiest physical activity.

3) There is a heartbeat or a sudden increase in blood pressure as if the chest is thumping. This happens because the lack of iron reduces the body's ability to carry oxygen to different parts of the body. As a form of compensation, increase the heart's output as manifested by an increase in blood pressure.

4) A pale skin is also found in women with anemia.

5) In some cases, bone deformities also possible that women with anemia. However, bone deformities alone is not a reliable indication of the detection of anemia.

6) A woman with anemia can also experience chest pain.

The most important thing to consider in the detection of anemia in women is that most symptoms are hardly noticed. As a result, most women are unaware of their condition. On the other hand, is complicating the picture that anemia share a lot of symptoms with other disorders. It is therefore very important for one to seek immediate medical help when anemia is suspected.

Best sources of iron to Counter Anemia

When taking iron, the body must also take the calcium-rich food. This is due to iron as a nutrient is something that is not easily absorbed by the body. It should be another nutrient that can make faster absorption. This is the reason why calcium is necessary because it promotes iron absorption.

The following are good sources of iron:

1) From animals are the best sources of iron red meat, liver and eggs. But what is considered to be excellent choice of iron from animals are fish such as tuna, salmon and oysters.

2) From the vegetables, you can get iron from wheat and oats, beans, spinach and soy products.