Is anemia caused by iron deficiency? These 4 reasons are hard to escape! Nutritionist Jian Yuhua: 3 tips to prevent iron deficiency anemia

Many women often feel dizzy, tired, have loss of appetite, or see stars when standing up after squatting. Be careful as these are signs of anemia. When people think of anemia, they immediately think of "replenishing blood", which makes them wonder: Do we need to buy iron supplements to replenish blood? Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. About 2% of the people in Taiwan suffer from iron deficiency anemia. How do you determine whether you have iron deficiency anemia? And how to prevent iron deficiency anemia? Let’s hear what nutritionist Jian Yuhua has to say.

Symptoms of anemia

The main cause of anemia is a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood or an insufficient amount of hemoglobin. Since anemia is mainly related to the reduced oxygen-carrying function of red blood cells, which leads to tissue hypoxia, anemia symptoms include: dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, palpitations, headache, pale complexion, etc.

Causes of anemia

Nutritionist Jian Yuhua from the Cancer Care Foundation said that according to the results of the National Nutrition and Health Status Change Survey from 2017 to 2020, the prevalence of anemia among women of childbearing age aged 15-49 in Taiwan is 19.1%. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, that is, anemia caused by iron deficiency, with a prevalence of 13.7%. Women during menstruation are particularly prone to iron deficiency anemia. This is mainly because of the loss of menstrual blood every month. If the iron intake is insufficient, you may become a high-risk group for iron deficiency anemia. There will be a higher chance of feeling tired, sleepy, dizzy, and pale.

(Photo provided by nutritionist Jian Yuhua)

But it is important to note that anemia is not just caused by iron deficiency, it may also be caused by a lack of nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B6 or vitamin B12, or by disease. Therefore, whether or not women have iron deficiency anemia, they should pay attention to whether their dietary iron intake is adequate.

How to determine whether you have iron deficiency anemia?

It is generally recommended to do a blood test. Normal hemoglobin for women is ≥12 mg/100 ml, and serum ferritin concentration is above 12μg/L, which means that the body has sufficient iron storage, and ferritin saturation is above 15%, which is normal.

Nutritionist Jian Yuhua said that iron deficiency can be assessed through three indicators. If two of the three indicators are abnormal, it indicates iron deficiency without anemia symptoms. If all three indicators are abnormal, it indicates iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, relying solely on "feelings" is not the most important way.

(Photo provided by nutritionist Jian Yuhua)

3 tips to prevent iron deficiency anemia

The daily iron intake for women of childbearing age is 15 mg. It is recommended to maintain the body's needs through daily eating habits:

 Choose the appropriate source of blood matrix iron:

Iron sources can be divided into hematogenous iron and non-hematogenous iron. If you need to supplement with a higher absorption rate, you can choose red meat and offal with a low fat content to supplement.

 Combined with vitamin C to improve absorption rate:

Especially if your diet has fewer sources of blood-based iron, you should pay attention to eating fresh seasonal fruits rich in vitamin C, such as citrus, guava or pineapple, during meals or within 2 hours after meals to increase your iron absorption rate.

 Pay attention to factors that affect iron absorption:

Excessive dietary fiber, tannin, EDTA (quality improver, antioxidant), etc. will affect iron absorption. You need to be careful to consume them in moderation and not eat them between meals.

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