Could your fatigue be low iron? How to boost your iron levels naturally

Beyond tired? Wondering where your energy has gone? Find yourself visiting the doctor but results come back 'normal'? It could be your iron levels. If you've had a blood test look again at the ferritin levels, if they are at the low end of normal you may have found your answer.

Low iron symptoms:

Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, our oxygen-carrying molecule. If this is in short supply, symptoms could include:

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Dizziness

• Muscular weakness

• Poor concentration & memory

• Pale complexion

• Brittle nails

• Hair loss

• Muscle soreness

• Reccurent infections

• Always feeling cold

• Breathlessness

• Fast heartbeat or palpitations

• Pica (food cravings for non-food items like ice or chalk).

Do you recognise any of these symptoms? Low iron, or even iron-deficiency anaemia is an often overlooked cause of fatigue. You are at more risk of low iron or even iron-deficiency anaemia if the following apply to you:

• Pregnancy.

• Heavy menstrual bleeding.

• Blood loss.

• Vegan or vegetarian diets low in iron.

• Major surgery., especially bariatric

• Kidney disease.

• Gastrointestinal diseases (celiac, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease).

• Proton pump inhibitor medication (you may take this for acid reflux)

Can Changing Your Diet Help with Low Iron?

Absolutely! Changing your diet can boost iron levels. I recommend asking your GP to run blood tests that investigate causes of fatigue. One of these will be ferritin. If you are outside the reference range OR even low end of the reference range, you can develop an action plan. 

Food contains iron in two different forms: heme (meat-based) or non-heme (vegetable-based).

The heme (meat) form is absorbed more readily than the non-heme (vegetables).

Increasing iron in your diet can help you improve your iron levels and maintaining an iron-rich diet can help prevent future deficiencies and symptoms. 

What to Eat to Boost Iron Levels

Prioritizing heme (meat) iron food sources improves iron absorption. 

Heme iron sources include:

• Beef or poultry.

• Chicken liver.

• Organ meats.

• Oysters, clams, mussels.

• Sardines or tuna.

  
  

  Non-heme iron sources include:

• Beans and lentils.

• Dark chocolate (I love this one!).

• Spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

• Potato with skin.

• Nuts and seeds.

• Egg yolks.

• Iron-fortified breakfast cereals.

Tips and tricks to boost iron absorption:

Iron absorption can be inhibited by dietary factors:

1. Avoid tea and coffee alongside an iron rich meal. Tannins in these drinks inhibits iron absorption. Unfortunately this includes decaf versions too.

2. Vitamin C greatly increases iron absorption! So simply adding a few slices of oranges or a couple of strawberries to your existing meals could boost absorption without you changing anything else!

3. Avoid dairy products when you plan an iron-rich meal. The calcium inhibits iron absorption by up to 50%

4. The same goes for calcium supplements - if you take a calcium-containing supplement, take it at least an hour away from your iron-rich foods.

5. An innovative way to boost iron intake is to cook in cast-iron cookware, which can increase the iron content of any foods cooked in it. 

Iron supplementation

If you have a low iron diet or your GP tests keep coming back with low iron, you may need to supplement. Iron supplements can be tough on your stomach and prescribed forms can cause unwelcome symptoms causing people to give them up too early. Try versions such as Iron Bisglycinate by Metagenics. This is much gentler on the stomach.

Tips when supplementing iron

• take on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning, an hour away from food

• take with a vitamin C source i.e. a few slices of orange or a couple of strawberries

• current research advises taking your supplement every other day as due to hepcidin (an iron-regulating molecule) fluctuations this leads to significantly better absorption overall.

• If your supplement causes stomach upset, don't give up! Try a gentler version such as iron bisglycinate

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So armed with this knowledge get ready to welcome back your energy and zest for life!

As always, if you want to work with me on issues such as low iron, get in touch at hello@gillianlythnutrition.co.uk

Have a great day!

Gillian