Iron requirements increases during pregnancy. Iron is needed more to meet the requirements of growing baby. Women are more prone to low levels of iron

Eating a balanced diet that includes food from the iron rich food list can help prevent iron deficiency.

Iron Deficiency Anemia is a condition where a person has inadequate amounts of iron to meet body demands. It is a decrease in the amount of red cells in the blood caused by having too little iron.

Recommended daily intake of iron

Children from birth to age 6 months - 10 mg daily

Children from ages 6 months to 4 years - 15 mg daily

Females ages 11 to 50 - 18 mg

Females over age 50 - 10 mg

Pregnant women - 30 to 60 mg

Males ages 10 to 18 - 18 mg

Males over age 19 - 10 mg

You can improve the way your body absorbs iron by eating foods from the iron rich food list. Raw foods provide iron that is absorbed most efficiently. Foods that are rich in vitamin C such as citrus and tomato are known to increase iron absorption.

Following is a list of foods that are high in iron which provide 8 mg or more of iron per 100 g of the food.

1. Cereals & Grains: barley (Bajra), Rice flakes
2. Pulses & Beans: Cow pea, Lobia (black-eye beans), Lentils, Soybean
3. Vegetables: Beetroot greens, Mint, Parsley, Turnip greens.
Vegetables like broccoli and bok choy are rich in iron. These vegetables are high iron and also high in vitamin C, which increases absorption of their iron content. The presence of vitamin C in these vegetables help absorb iron.
4. Sea vegetables are very high in iron. Refer the high iron food list given below.
5. Spices: Turmeric (Haldi)
6. Fruits: Dried dates, Watermelon, Raisins
7. Fish and Red meats
8. Iron in Animal Sources Heme Iron

The daily requirement of iron is very easily met with vegetarian diets. For example, 1 cup of cooked spinach contains 3 mg, 1 cup of tofu contains 13.2 mg and 1 cup cooked lentils give 6.4 mg of iron.
Iron Absorption By Body

Note that eating foods high in iron alone will not ensure adequate iron supply to body because the iron absorption by body depends on the form of the iron. The iron from animal sources, known as heme iron, is absorbed easily by the body. The iron found in vegetable sources, known as non-heme iron, is less available to the body. The amount of iron absorbed from vegetarian foods is around 1 - 10% , while it is 10 - 20% from animal foods.
Good Enhancer Foods for Iron Absorption:

Iron from the raw foods is absorbed better. Foods that are rich in vitamin C such as tomato and citrus help to increase iron absorption.

Combinations of foods such as beans and tomato or tofu and broccoli result in good iron absorption. In general vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, capsicum, potato, tomato, etc. and fruits such as cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, orange, etc. enhance the iron absorption.

Foods Not Good (Inhibitors) For Iron Absorption:

Avoid the following foods in combination with high iron foods as they inhibit the iron absorption: Tea, coffee, chard, etc.


List of Iron in Foods : Iron Rich Food List
Iron in Breads, cereals, and grains

Bran flakes, oatmeal and semolina are high in iron.
Iron mg
Bran flakes, 1 cup 11.0
Oatmeal, 1 packet 6.3
Pasta, 1 cup, cooked 1.7
Semolina, Cream of wheat, 1/2 cup cooked 5.5
Wheat germ, 2 tablespoon 1.2
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 0.9
White bread, 1 slice 0.7
Iron in Vegetables

Sea vegetables are very high in iron.
Vegetables (1/2 cup cooked)
Sea vegetables 18.1-
42.0
Swiss chard 2
Turnip greens 1.6
Sweet potatoes, canned 1.7
Turnip greens 1.6
Pumpkin, cooked 1.7
Potato, baked with skin 1.7
Turnip greens 1.6
Prune juice, 4 oz 1.5
Spinach cooked 1.5
Beet greens cooked 1.4
Potato, 1 large 1.4
Bok choy cooked 0.7
Peas, cooked 0.65
Green beans, cooked 0.60
Tomato juice 0.6
Broccoli, cooked 0.55
Watermelon, 1/8 medium 0.5
Iron in Legumes, Lentils

Chickpeas, soybeans and tofu contain high iron.
Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)
Lentils 3.2
Black eye beans 2.6
Navy beans 2.5
Pinto beans 2.2
Lima beans 2.2
Kidney beans Rajmah 1.5
Chick peas (200 g) 6.2
Iron in Soy foods (1/2 cup cooked)
Tofu 6.6
Soybeans 4.4
Tempeh 1.8
Soy milk 0.9
Iron in Nuts & Seeds
Nuts/Seeds (2 Tablespoon)
Pumpkin seeds 2.5
Figs, dried, 5 2.0
Dried apricot, 5 1.6
Almond, 1/4 cup 1.3
Tahini 1.2
Sesame 1.2
Sunflower seeds 1.2
Cashew nuts 1.0

iron deficiency anemia isn't as big a problem as it once was.

The use of vitamins, iron rich baby foods, and/or iron fortified baby foods have helped both breast feeding babies and babies who drink an iron fortified infant formula avoid becoming anemic from a lack of iron.

Iron deficiency is still a problem for some kids though, especially toddlers who are picky eaters and drink too much milk and not enough iron-rich foods.

In general, your child should eat at least two or more iron-rich foods each day. Knowing which foods actually have iron in them can be confusing for parents though.

What You Need To Know

* Risk factors for iron deficiency include toddlers and older children who drink more than 24 ounces of milk each day and have a diet low in iron and vitamin C.

* vitamin C can help your body absorb iron, so it is a good idea to pair iron-rich foods with foods that have a lot of vitamin C, including citrus fruits and iron-fortified orange juice.

* It is harder for the body to absorb the nonheme iron that is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains, than the heme iron that is found in animal foods, including red meats, poultry, and fish.

* Remember that nuts and shellfish can pose a food allergy danger for younger kids and too much seafood can expose younger kids to mercury, so follow current fish and mercury warnings when feeding children seafood.

* Keep in mind that the %DV for iron on food labels is based on the adult needs of 18mg or iron a day, while a toddler only needs about 7 to 10mg a day. So while an egg provides 4% DV of iron for an adult, it would actually provide about 7% to 10% DV of iron for a toddler.

I frequently try my best to improve iron supplement in body ..but i always have very low heamoglobin counts which is due to iron deficiency...

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Iron-Deficiency Anemia?

The signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia depend on how serious the condition is. Mild to moderate iron-deficiency anemia may have no signs or symptoms.

When signs and symptoms do occur, they can range from mild to severe. Many of the signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia apply to all types of anemia.
Signs and Symptoms of Anemia

The most common symptom of all types of anemia is fatigue (tiredness). Not having enough hemoglobin in the blood causes fatigue. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body.

Anemia also can cause shortness of breath; dizziness, especially when standing up; headache; coldness in your hands or feet; pale skin, gums, and nail beds; and chest pain.

If you don't have enough hemoglobin-carrying red blood cells, your heart has to work harder to circulate the reduced amount of oxygen in your blood. This can lead to arrhythmia, heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or even heart failure.

In infants and young children, signs of anemia include poor appetite, slowed growth and development, and behavioral problems.
Signs and Symptoms of Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia may include brittle nails, swelling or soreness of the tongue, cracks in the sides of the mouth, an enlarged spleen, and frequent infections.

People who have iron-deficiency anemia may have unusual cravings for nonfood items such as ice, dirt, paint, or starch. This craving is called pica (PI-ka or PE-ka).

Some people who have iron-deficiency anemia develop restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move your legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in your legs. People who have RLS often have a hard time sleeping.

Iron-deficiency anemia can put children at greater risk for lead poisoning and infections.

Some signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia are related to the condition's causes. For example, a sign of intestinal bleeding can be bright red blood in the stools or black, tarry-looking stools.

Very heavy menstrual bleeding, long periods, or other vaginal bleeding may suggest that a woman is at risk for iron-deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency
is a decrease in the red cells of blood as a result of lack of iron in the blood. The causes can be too little iron in the diet, poor absorption of iron by the body or loss of blood. It is also caused by lead poisoning in children. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in USA. It results when the body loses more iron than it ingests.

Iron is the main ingredient in hemoglobin which is found in red blood cells
and is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. Without enough iron, body is unable to produce enough hemoglobin and as a result of this muscles get less oxygen which reduces the body energy.

Iron deficiency anemia
is the most common form of anemia
. It occurs slowly when the normal stores of iron are quite low in the body. To produce red blood cells, the body needs, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12
. If there is a lack of one or more of these things, anemia will evolve. It must be remembered that anemia is the last result of chronic iron deficiency.

The symptoms of iron deficiency are:

- Lack of energy, feeling tired and weakness.

- Pale skin on the lining of the eyes, the inner mouth, gums and the nails.

- Rapid and forceful heart beat.

- Low blood pressure with position change, from sitting to standing up.

- Finger nails become thin, brittle and white. They may grow abnormally and get a spoon-shaped appearance.

- Severe menstrual pain and bleeding.

- Tongue may become sore, smooth, shiny and reddened.

- Decreased appetite especially in children.

- Headache - frontal-

- Shortness of breath during exercise. (even during a simple exercise like walking)

- Brittle hair.

- Reduction in immunity and increased vulnerability to infection.

- A strong desire to eat nonfoods such as ice, paint or dirt. A condition called pica.

- Disturbed sleep.

- Abdominal pain.

These symptoms are quite general and could also indicate other health problems or blood disorders. Therefore, if a person has these symptoms he/she should talk to a doctor before taking any iron pills. Taking too much iron can actually be unhealthy.

To diagnose iron deficiency anemia, CBC -complete blood test- is used. Other common lab tests are serum ferritin or serum iron, which examines the proteins involved in the storage and transport of iron through the body, stool occult blood test and TIBC -total iron binding capacity- These tests will determine whether a person has an iron deficiency and the degree of its severity.

A person suffering from iron deficiency can be cured by some relatively simple and effective treatments like taking iron supplements (tablets, capsules and injections) and increasing iron from food sources (liver, meat, beans, nuts, dried fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, green leafy vegetables and enriched cereals). Once the disease and its causes are detected, it is not difficult to prevent it.

How is iron-deficiency anemia diagnosed?

Iron-deficiency anemia may be suspected from general findings on a complete medical history and physical examination, such as complaints of tiring easily, abnormal paleness or lack of color of the skin, or a fast heartbeat (tachycardia). Iron-deficiency anemia is usually discovered during a medical examination through a blood test that measures the amount of hemoglobin (number of red blood cells) present, and the amount of iron in the blood. In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for iron-deficiency anemia may include the following:

* additional blood tests

* bone marrow aspiration and biopsy - marrow may be removed by aspiration or a needle biopsy under local anesthesia. In aspiration biopsy, a fluid specimen is removed from the bone marrow. In a needle biopsy, marrow cells (not fluid) are removed. These methods are often used together.

Treatment for iron-deficiency anemia:

Specific treatment for iron-deficiency anemia will be determined by your physician based on:

* your age, overall health, and medical history
* extent of the anemia
* cause of the anemia
* your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
* expectations for the course of the anemia
* your opinion or preference

Treatment may include:

* iron-rich diet
Eating a diet with iron-rich foods can help treat iron-deficiency anemia. Good sources of iron include the following:

o meats - beef, pork, lamb, liver, and other organ meats
o poultry - chicken, duck, turkey, liver (especially dark meat)
o fish - shellfish, including clams, mussels, and oysters, sardines, anchovies
o leafy greens of the cabbage family, such as broccoli, kale, turnip greens, and collards
o legumes, such as lima beans and green peas; dry beans and peas, such as pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and canned baked beans
o yeast-leavened whole-wheat bread and rolls
o iron-enriched white bread, pasta, rice, and cereals

* iron supplements
Iron supplements can be taken over several months to increase iron levels in the blood. Iron supplements can cause irritation of the stomach and discolo

Sumit,what you said is very true.Iron is an important supplement for the growth of the baby. :) :)