Are you low in iron?

We all feel a bit under the weather sometimes, but for many women, chronic overtiredness could signal something a bit more serious.

I’m talking about low iron, a condition that affects up to 70 per cent of Australian women aged 25 to 55 years old. In fact, it’s considered the single most common cause of fatigue in women.

Despite this, many women are undiagnosed, and go about their days living with the unpleasant side affects. I spoke to women’s health expert Dr Rachel Ryan about what causes iron deficiency, the signs and symptoms to look out for and how you can boost your iron levels.

Why is iron so important?

Iron’s most important role in the body is as a fundamental building block for haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the molecule contained in red blood cells, which is responsible for carrying oxygen around the body – obviously quite an important job. Therefore, losing blood involves losing iron. Bleeding from anything causes loss of iron (and subsequently, loss of oxygen carrying capacity).

Who tends to suffer from low iron levels?

Iron deficiency is most common in women in the reproductive years due to loss of iron with menstruation. It can be quite a significant problem for women with heavy periods. Because of this, women generally need a little more iron than men – 1.5mg/day versus 1mg/day. It’s also common in pregnancy and in women with vegetarian or vegan diets.

Is there a particular cause?

Iron deficiency is caused by:

Increased loss of iron – generally bleeding. For example, heavy periods.
Increased use of iron which erodes the body’s store of iron – pregnancy is an example of this. Pregnant women need 4-5mg/day to provide iron for themselves and the developing baby.
Reduced iron intake – usually dietary and most commonly seen in vegetarians or women who don’t eat much meat. It may also be due to a medical condition (such as Crohn’s or coeliac disease) that reduces the amount of iron people absorb from their diets.

What are the signs and symptoms of iron deficiency?

Mild iron deficiency may be asymptomatic. As it becomes more severe, women may experience:

Fatigue
Dizziness
Difficulty concentrating
Breathlessness
Heart palpitations
Increased susceptibility to infections
Increased sensitivity to cold and pain
Swelling of the tongue

All of these symptoms are fairly nonspecific and may be caused by a number of different medical conditions so it is important that women don’t ‘self-diagnose’. They should see their GP to discuss their symptoms and have tests done to check their iron levels and look for any other causes.

Are there any long-term health complications?

This depends a bit on the cause of the iron deficiency. Although it is most commonly due to menstrual loss or inadequate dietary intake, one of the more serious causes is bleeding from the bowel from peptic ulcer disease or bowel cancer. Therefore, anyone who suspects they may have iron deficiency should see their GP to have their iron levels tested. Iron deficiency can make some other conditions more serious – particularly heart problems.

How can women boost their iron levels? What dietary changes would you recommend?

Iron is found in meats, poultry, fish, wholegrains and some vegetables. It is much easier for the body to access iron from meat than from grains and veggies. Women who don’t eat any or much meat need to make sure they are compensating with other iron-rich foods. Iron is easier to absorb when consumed with foods containing vitamin C.

Some women may also need to take iron supplements and should speak to their GP or pharmacist about which one to take. Some iron supplements come with ‘built in’ vitamin C. If not, they can be taken with a glass of orange juice (you can then use the leftover peel for these DIY beauty hacks).

If you’re considering taking iron supplements, here are some to try: