National Women’s Health and Fitness Day (US) 2021: What Is Iron Deficiency? Natural Ways to Manage the Most Common Nutrient Deficiency in Women

Every year the last Wednesday of September is celebrated as the National Women’s Health & Fitness Day and is observed mainly in the United States of America. The day, as the name suggests, is dedicated to Women's overall health and fitness. One of the most common deficiencies in women is Iron deficiency. Since iron is a vital nutrient needed by the body and an insufficiency of it can lead to anaemia. Therefore, if you suffer from some of the common symptoms such as tiredness and breathlessness, you mind have iron deficiency. Let's discuss further.

What Is Iron Deficiency?

Iron makes red blood cells in the body and can cause a hemoglobin decrease. A healthy woman should have 12 to 14 milligrams per deciliter of hemoglobin. Iron deficiency is also known as anemia. This condition occurs when our body lacks sufficient amount of iron to make hemoglobin since red blood cells contain a protein that enables them to carry oxygen around the body.

What is the cause of iron deficiency?

• In women pregnancy may cause a deficiency and that is why doctors often suggest iron supplements.
• Iron deficiency occurs may also occur due to stomach ulcers, colon cancer.
• The most common cause of Iron deficiency a consumption of food that lack iron.
• Iron is present in red cells in the body, losing a lot of blood can cause iron deficiency.
• Iron deficiency can also be caused by certain medication.
• Women who have excessive bleeding during menstruation may have an iron deficiency.

Natural Ways to Manage the Most Common Nutrient Deficiency in Women

• Soybean is rich in iron and vitamins. It is beneficial for the patients of anemia. It provides plenty of protein with low body fat. To prevent Anemia, you can include soybean into any diet.
• Consume jaggery instead to sugar as consumption of jaggery is considered extremely beneficial for the patients of anemia. Jaggery contains a lot of iron and the older it is, the more beneficial it will be.
• Green vegetables like spinach, lettuce, beet, broccoli, fenugreek, parsley and bottle gourd are rich in iron. These vegetables don't just contain iron, but also energizing nutrients like vitamin B-12 and folic acid.
• Beet juice is rich in iron. Anemia patients often take beet root juice to get rid of fatigue and lethargy. People can also add honey to it to make the taste of beet juice better.
• Vegetarian foods such as gourd, pumpkin seeds, capsicum, green leafy vegetables, spinach, roasted potatoes, kidney beans, beans, raisins and other dry fruits, etc. contain iron.
• Non-veg foods rich in iron are seafood, eggs, meats, chicken, etc.

Most women suffer from anemia due to irregular eating habits and lack of iron in the blood can be caused by infection in the stomach, taking too much calcium in the food, not eating green vegetables, smoking too much, due to some reason there is a lot of bleeding from the body and deficiency of folic acid.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2021 07:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).