Iron: Everything You Need to Know About This Nutrient

Iron plays an important role in the body, as it helps to create new red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. If you become deficient in iron, it can lead to anaemia. Iron can be found in many foods but is most commonly associated with red meat – however, foods such as beans, nuts, dried fruit, soy, dark-green vegetables and wholegrains also provide a great source of this nutrient. Interestingly, although people think that spinach is the ultimate provider of iron, it also contains a substance which makes it difficult for the body to absorb it – while you shouldn’t stray away from spinach, be sure to top it up with other foods as well.

Men need just over 8.5mg of iron each day, while women need 14.8mg – this is because women lose blood each month due to their menstrual cycle, so it’s important that they get plenty of iron in order to stop the body from struggling without it. Iron supplements may even be advisable in a female diet, but speak to your GP who can advise you whether or not you will need these.

Too much iron can actually be bad for you –  a high dose is considered to be anything over 20mg and it can lead to nausea, constipation, vomiting and stomach pains. In severe cases, an extremely high dose of iron can even be fatal. This is especially the case in children, so be sure to monitor your child’s diet carefully and make sure they don’t take any supplements that could cause them to overdose on this nutrient. Generally, you can get all of the iron you need from a balanced diet that’s rich in fruit and vegetables, but if you’re concerned that you may be iron deficient, speak to your GP who can run blood tests and see if your levels are too low.