Why you need to look at IRON status with a fine toothed comb....

In Australia, a developed, well-educated society with "premium" health care iron deficiency is the only nutrient deficiency that is still prevalent. Roughly 12% of pregnant women, 15% of non-pregnant women and 8% of pre-school children have anemia as stated by the World Health Organisation - no wonder we are all falling asleep at work and school!

Those most at risk of this crucial nutrient depletion are pregnant women, non-pregnant women of reproductive age (especially around their monthly cycles), athletes, vegetarians, vegans, people with digestive disorders (in particular celiacs disease), acute or chronic blood loss, teenagers, infants from 6 months and children to four years of age. When I start to see infants and children with iron deficiency this is where I really start to worry as it can indicate a few things:

1. What is the mothers iron status? As a child's poor iron status can be associated with the mother's low iron status during pregnancy.

2. Is this iron deficiency affecting their growth, development and learning?

Low iron can then result in what's known as iron deficiency anaemia. Symptoms of either may include fatigue (especially around or after menstruation), weakness, pallor and shortness of breath. Other effects that lack of iron may have in the body include low cellular energy production, impact on hormone production and impact on detoxification pathways.

Now most people think that they can just head down to the pharmacy or chemist and grab any iron supplement - yes this is true but usually it is in a form called iron sulphate - which is cheap to manufacture, is poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and therefore the uptake into the cell in very minimal. It also tends to be constipating in most people - especially the lovely pregnant women who most of the time will be struggling with this already! The best forms of iron to look for are iron bisglycinate and iron amino acid chelate - they have high absorption rates, do not cause gut irritation like sulphate forms and do not cause constipation. The dose taken needs to be closely considered and only determined on once a Qualified Naturopath or Doctor has looked over your full iron studies blood test. Once a suitable dose has been established you will need to look at your bloods again in 5 weeks time to make sure the dose is correct and iron stores are increasing.

Just looking at the blood levels of iron alone will not give you a clear enough picture - you must request full iron studies from the doctor which will include serum iron, total iron binding capacity, iron saturation, transferrin saturation and ferritin. Testing all of these helps a Qualified Practitioner get a good picture how your iron is binding, storing and how well your cells are saturated with iron.

Iron will absorb best in conjuction with B-Vitamins, especially B12 and folic acid (B9) and Vitamin C. The best way to get these nutrients is through food sources, however in a deficiency state it is crucial to supplement for a short amount of time until levels are topped up and diet is worked on and adequate.

For lists of foods containing foods rich in iron and the above nutrients it is best to make a time with a Qualified Naturopath or Nutritionist. Those who need to be careful and avoid iron rich foods and supplementation are those who have a rather common genetic disorder called haemochromatosis.