Iron plays a vital role in the healthy blood production. It is an essential component of hemoglobin, a type of protein in red blood cells, that transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of all the body parts. Iron is also part of myoglobin, a protein that carries and stores oxygen in muscle tissues, supports muscle metabolism and healthy connective tissue. Additionally, it is essential in brain development, cellular function, physical growth, and synthesis of certain hormones.
The need for iron differs in age and sex. During adolescence, iron requirement is elevated to support their growth and muscular development. Likewise, females of the reproductive age also need higher amount of iron due to menstrual loss, pregnancy, lactation, and nutritional deficiencies during the reproductive cycle.
The increased iron requirement when not met can cause a number of major health issues, such as iron deficiency anemia. In the Philippines, the prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) is 23% among pregnant women while 10.7% among women of reproductive age. The lack of iron during pregnancy is crucial as it increases the risk of having a low-birth-weight baby, premature birth and still birth. Further, iron deficiency during the first trimester, has a more negative impact on fetal growth than anemia developing later in pregnancy. IDA is also prevalent among women of reproductive age because of their increased need for iron.
The recommended intake for iron for females aged 15-49 years old is 28 mg while an additional 10 mg is needed for pregnant women. Requirements cannot be met by usual diet alone thus intake of iron-rich and iron-fortified foods and the use of supplements are recommended, when necessary.
Iron is naturally present in many foods and comes in two forms – heme and non-heme iron. Of the two forms, the heme iron present in meats, poultry, and seafood is readily absorbed by the body. On the other hand, non-heme iron which is less absorbed, is present in fortified grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables.
You can enhance your body's absorption of iron by taking Vitamin C-rich foods such as guava, citrus fruits, bell pepper, cabbage, and tomatoes while you eat high-iron foods. Eating a balanced, healthy diet that contains a variety of foods is a smart approach to increase your iron consumption.
Written by: DMO II Bianca Estrella
References:
Food and Nutrition Research Institute. (2015). Philippine Dietary Reference Intake.
Food and Nutrition Research Institute. (2021). 2018-2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey
Harvard School of Public Health. (n.d.) The Nutrition Source: Iron. Retrieved from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/iron/
National Institute of Health. (2022). Fact Sheet for Health Professionals: Iron. Retrieved from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
Abu-Ouf, N.M. and Jan, M.M. (2015). National Library of Medicine: The impact of maternal iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia on child’s health. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4375689/
Teschale, A.B., Tesema, G.A., Worku, M.G., Yeshaw, Y and Tessema, Z.T. (2020). Anemia and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in eastern Africa: A multilevel mixed-effects generalized linear model. Retrieved from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238957
Mesias, M., Seiquer, I and Navarro, M.P. (2013). Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition: Iron Nutrition in Adolescence. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2011.564333
