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Iron deficiency

How Can You Tell if Your Iron Is Low?

Your body needs a lot of different vitamins and minerals to keep going. One of the most important minerals is iron. It plays an essential role in the production of hemoglobin. This protein allows red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout your body. Without enough iron, your body can’t produce hemoglobin, hindering oxygen transportation. These are the most common signs that your iron is low. The cause of low iron is often blood loss. This is sometimes due to injury but can also occur in women during their period or through latent blood loss in the stool.

Are You Feeling Tired?

Increased fatigue could be a sign that you aren’t getting enough iron. Oxygen is necessary for your cells to metabolize sugar and give you energy. When your cells aren’t getting enough oxygen, you don’t have the power you need to function. Low iron leads to low hemoglobin production, which stops your red blood cells from effectively transporting oxygen.

Unusual Paleness Could Indicate That Your Iron Is Low

Iron-rich hemoglobin is the protein that gives blood its distinctive red color. As your hemoglobin levels drop, your blood begins to lose this color. This can lead to your skin looking much paler. Pale skin is one of the easiest signs to identify when your iron is low. The effect is most pronounced on the face, fingernails, gums, and the lower eyelids.

Shortness of Breath Is Another Common Symptom When Your Iron Is Low

When your body isn’t getting enough oxygen, it tries to compensate by breathing more. People with low iron will often have difficulty catching their breath after even mild physical activity like climbing stairs. Without enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen, the body is in a constant state of low oxygen.

Low Iron Is One Cause of Heart Palpitations

The decreased oxygen transportation efficiency brought on by low iron requires your heart to work harder to deliver the same amount of oxygen. This causes an elevated pulse and irregular heartbeats. Prolonged iron deficiency could lead to long-term heart problems. There are many possible causes of heart palpitations. It would be best to consult a doctor if you have this symptom.

Low Iron Sometimes Causes Dizziness

Light-headedness and dizziness are less common but still prevalent signs that your iron is low. The low oxygen levels caused by low iron can also lead to headaches, as deficient oxygen reaches the brain and causing blood vessels to swell. These symptoms are typical of many conditions, but they could point towards low iron if other symptoms are present.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless leg syndrome refers to the tendency to fidget uncontrollably when the legs are at rest. People feel compelled by itching or other sensations in the legs to move them continually. This often leads to difficulty sleeping. Restless leg syndrome is a common symptom of low iron.

Reduced Temperature at Extremities

Ineffective oxygen transfer to the hands and feet leads to reduced metabolism in those areas. The reduced metabolism then leads to a decrease in body temperature at those extremities. People whose iron is low often report their hands and feet feeling very cold. Some also report a general feeling of coolness through the entire body.

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best iron supplement iron supplement side effects

Taking Supplements – Is It Good Or Bad?

Contrary to popular belief, popping supplements is not the key to staying healthy. It may come as a shock to many that these ‘healthy’ supplements also come with their own harmful side effects. 

Dietary supplements are flooding the supermarket shelves; people are buying these over-the-counter medicines by the dozen. There’s something for every deficiency a human can complain of – pop a vitamin C or zinc tablet if you feel you are not able to see properly, swallow iron pills if you are looking pale or have low hemoglobin levels, take calcium to keep your bones strong, scarf up on fish oil capsules to reduce the threatening triglyceride levels and so on!

best iron supplement

Indeed, the combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes are being hailed as the passport to living a long and healthy life, free of heart disease and other chronic ailments. To give them their due, supplements can help balance out nutritional deficiencies in the body and keep you healthy. While some deliver vital substances to the body, some can even reduce the risk of certain diseases.

However, most people are blissfully unaware of the vitamin D, folic acid, probiotics, calcium and iron supplement side effects. A recent study by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the National Institute of Health reveals that herbal and dietary supplements’ induced liver injury accounts for 20% of cases of hepatotoxicity in the United States!

Indeed, the beneficial-sounding dietary supplements are not without their own side effects. Let’s take a look at some of them:

  • While supplements can help cover deficient nutrients in the body, they cannot become a replacement for a healthy and balanced diet. Eating a variety of nutritional foods is crucial.
  • Some supplements can cause a serious reaction or illness in the body. Some can cause complications during surgeries or even reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. They can prove dangerous for pregnant women and children.
  • Especially combining supplements or taking them along with some medications (heart disease, blood thinners, diurectics, steroids) can prove to be harmful or even life-threatening.
  • Substituting supplements for prescription medicines are bound to lead to grave consequences.
  • Too much of a nutrient is also not a good thing as they are not naturally eliminated from the body.  Excess vitamin A can cause headaches, liver damage and even birth defects. Surfeit of calcium and vitamin D may increase the risk of kidney stones. Extra iron can lead to nausea, seizures, coma and even death.

Therefore, self-diagnosing or relying on the internet for taking ‘appropriate’ supplements is not advisable. Do not trust claims like ‘lowers high cholesterol’, ‘reduces blood pressure’ or ‘treats heart disease’ either.

Think twice before popping the pills into your mouth. Consider the potential benefits, safety risks, proper dosage and duration for taking the supplements. It is always better to run the supplement by your healthcare provider and find out if it is actually beneficial and safe for you! In such a scenario, the best iron supplement can be the one that does not contain iron at all. Indeed, Iron Catch (www.iron-catch.com) is an innovative supplement that simply enhances the body’s ability to absorb iron, thus restoring the depleted iron stores in the body. It is therefore free of the common side effects associated with regular supplements!