Iron deficiency anemia is the world’s most common form of anemia, and probably the most common deficiency disease in general. Its prevalence is estimated at around 600 million people worldwide. Due to iron deficiency the production of red blood pigment, hemoglobin, is disturbed. People with iron deficiency anemia often feel tired and limp and tend to a pale complexion.

Top causes

The most common causes of iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition are bleeding. Infants, the milk substitutes based on cow’s milk receive, at least if they are not enriched with iron, are more at risk than-fed infants, because cow’s milk is eisenärmer as human breast milk, and has a significantly worse on absorption. Contrary to popular belief, vegetarians do not become ill more frequently in iron deficiency anemia in a mixed Köstler. They are in doubt Lakto-ovo-vegetarians at greater risk than vegans are, since cow’s milk products are not only eisenarm, but as the eggs Eisenresorption inhibit. For the same reason as bright veal: The animals are in an age in which they are in nature have long since started to browse, almost exclusively fed with milk. To them the remains of iron in the grass and other sheet materials inaccessible, and they are anemic.

Bleeding in men and women are often in the gastrointestinal tract, more commonly known as bleeding from tumors, when young women can also cause excessive menstrual iron deficiency anemia be. In pregnancy, iron requirements increased by almost 100%. Even regular blood donors have a greater demand, because the removal of about half a liter of blood and about 250 mg of iron lost.

Treatment
Food Iron (mg/100g)
Pig liver 22.1
Cocoa powder 12
Pig kidney 10.0
Millet 9.0
Soybeans 8.6
Calf liver 7.9
Chanterelles 6.5
Pudding 6.4
Sunflower seeds 6.3
White Beans 6.1
Oysters 5.8
Liverwurst 5.3
Peas 5.0
Crisp bread 4.7
Oatmeal 4.6
Spinach 4.1
Nettle 4.1
Corned Beef 4.1
Hazel 3.8
Wholemeal 3.3
Beef 3.2
Pork 3.0
Poultry 2.6

As an existing anemia to cause serious illness can have is the consultation of a physician is recommended. An iron-rich diet, but a deficiency can be prevented. If a sufficient supply from the diet alone can be ensured, an ingestion of iron preparations are not recommended, as these can easily be overdosed. Again and again, it is too severe poisoning when small children come to such drugs and consume them in series. From about 500-1000 mg of iron consumption may be a toddler to be severely poisoned, from 2000 to 3000 mg can be fatal. This content, 20-30 already high (100 mg / dose) on tablets or capsules. Such doses can not be achieved through the food, so this option is always the safer option.

The German Society for Nutrition is the iron requirements for men with 10 mg / day and for women with 15 mg / day. The digestive system is in normal case, but only 10% of them and a maximum of 5mg, record. During pregnancy or when an existing iron deficiency increases the absorption of up to 40%. With a surplus drops to 5%.

An Indian study of iron deficiency in vegetarian children suffering showed that iron deficiency through improved vitamin C intake, can be treated. After – no other change of eating habits – for 60 days for lunch and dinner 100 mg vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is added, occurred in all subjects with the vitamin C group provided a significant improvement in hemoglobin status. The majority of these children even fully recovered.

The above quantity is for instance about 200 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice, 100 grams of broccoli or a few strips of red bell peppers contain, but also extends the half to cut a large increase in the absorption effect. But only if the consumption of between ascorbinsäurehaltigen iron-rich foods and foods no more than a few hours, the vitamin C is still in the digestive tract is located.

Vegetarian Diet

The main sources of iron are meat, sausage and liver, as milk and eggs to inhibit the uptake, and plenty of eating out at Weissmehlprodukte good absorption in an iron content of only about 10% of salary in on wholemeal.

Vegetarians need other sources of iron. A variety of plant foods contain much iron sometimes, especially spices (such as dried coriander, parsley, black pepper and cinnamon), legumes, whole grains, oilseeds (such as sesame and poppy seeds) and nuts. For example, included white beans and soybeans on 100 kcal of up to eight times as much iron as beef, cinnamon, even more than twenty times the quantity. At the same time responding Nonhäm-iron, as in plant foods, milk and eggs, more on simultaneously recorded in the food conveying and inhibitors as well as the regulatory mechanisms of the body.

Promotional materials of Eisenresorption:

* Vitamin C is the best known of the promotional material Eisenresorption. He is unable to effect many eisenhemmenden inhibitors completely annulled.
* Other organic acids such as malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid, acetic acid and possibly also lactic
* Fructose (fruit sugar), weaker in degree, other sugar

Generally therefore, above all, the ingredients of fruit and fruit vegetables and cabbage.

Inhibitors:

* Tannins in coffee and black tea in addition to phytic acid is the strongest inhibitor of iron
* Unfermentiertem phytic acid in whole grains and some (unfermentierten) pulses
* Dietary fiber although to a lesser extent than originally assumed
* Calcium, magnesium in larger quantities
* Unknown substances in eggs
* Antacids neutralizing stomach acid medicines
* Phosphates in meat, cheese, and several food additives
* Oxalic acid such as rhubarb, cocoa and spinach (which up to 4 mg/100 g fresh otherwise iron-rich vegetables)

By microbial fermentation of food Phytinsäuregehalt reduced, making the absorption of iron and zinc increases. Therefore, under the leadership and especially yeast sourdough baked wholemeal leadership a better iron source than with mineral raising funds produced breads.

Examples of Combinations

* Bean stew (iron-rich legumes) with potatoes and peppers (ascorbinsäurehaltig)
* Bean pot with sauerkraut (ascorbic acid + lactic acid)
* Whole grain sourdough bread (iron-rich, lactic acid) with rose hip jam (ascorbic acid + sugar)
* Spinach (iron-rich) with lemon juice (citric acid + ascorbic acid)
* Hummus contains chickpeas, sesame and often parsley (all iron-rich) + lemon juice (ascorbic acid)

Laboratory values

Typical of the iron deficiency anemia is a low hemoglobin value (Hb <13,5 g / dl in men and <12.0 g / dl in women), it is also the value of hemoglobin in individual erythrocytes is lower than normal (hypo-chrome anemia). Evidence relating to the iron deficiency is a deficiency in addition to hemoglobin reduced ferritin. An anemia at normal ferritin suggests that other causes, such as a lack of vitamin B6 or vitamin B12 and folic acid necessary for the formation of blood are needed.