Did you know that iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia is a major public health challenge, especially for women, globally? The World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that in 2019, global anaemia prevalence was at 29.9 per cent in women of reproductive age—which is equal to over half a billion women aged 15 to 49 years. But while this global number is indeed staggering, we need to know that iron deficiency anaemia is a particularly grave problem in India too.
The recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) shows that the highest spike in anaemia in 2019-2021 was reported among children aged six to 59 months—a number which was higher in rural India (68.3 per cent) compared to urban India (64.2 per cent). The second-highest spike was of anaemia in women aged 15 to 19 years (59.1 per cent). The spike among pregnant women aged 15 to 49 years was 52.2 per cent.
So, iron deficiency anaemia is a critical health concern for girls and women of all ages in India, and needs our immediate attention. Here’s what you need to know.
What is iron deficiency anaemia?
Iron is an important micronutrient that is essential for many vital functions of the body. Apart from helping cellular growth and immune system function, iron also helps transport and store oxygen, helps with proper digestive functions, and aids cognitive function as well as mental and physical growth. A lack of iron in the body can therefore diminish and hinder all these functions, which in turn can make you sick, to say the least. Iron deficiency anaemia is one of the major nutritional deficiencies women face.
Causes of iron deficiency anaemia
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research explains that iron deficiency in women can occur due to a number of reasons:
• Less nutritional intake of iron-rich foods
• Increased demand of iron during pregnancy and other life stages like menopause
• Heavy blood loss due to an injury
• Heavy blood loss due to menstruation
• Parasitic infections
Given the fact that malnutrition is a major problem in the Indian population, especially women and girls, it’s not surprising that iron deficiency anaemia plagues us.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia
Here are some symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia you should look out for:
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Frequent headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Cold hands and feet
• Pain in the legs and feet
• Brittle or cracked nails
• Hair loss
• Cracks near the corners of your mouth
• Pica, which is a craving for things like dirt, starch, clay, chalk, etc
• Sore and swollen tongue
Preventing iron deficiency anaemia
Here are some methods to prevent iron deficiency anaemia:
• Eat plenty of foods with iron.
• Eat plenty of foods that help absorb iron, like vitamin C rich foods such as orange, lemon, etc.
• Ensure that your meals are balanced.
• Avoid smoking, drinking, and reduce your coffee intake.
• Talk to your doctor about calcium supplements as an excess of those can also reduce iron absorption.
• Talk to your doctor about taking iron supplements, especially if you are menstruating.
How much iron do you need?
Your appropriate iron intake depends on several factors, like age and overall health. Here are some age-wise iron intake details you should know:
• Children aged four to eight years need 10mg of iron, daily
• Children aged nine to 13 years need 8mg of iron, daily.
• Girls who have started menstruating, no matter what their age, should increase their iron intake.
• Girls and women aged 19 to 50 years need to take 18mg of iron, daily.
• Women aged 51 years and above should take 14mg of iron, daily.
• During pregnancy and while breastfeeding, women should take 27mg of iron, daily.
Foods that help prevent iron deficiency anaemia
It’s very important to note that while red meat, lean meat, fish and eggs contain huge amounts of iron, not everyone in India has access to plenty of these. So, including vegetarian food sources in your diet is critical. Here are some iron-rich foods you should add to your diet:
• Lean meat, eggs, fish and seafood
• Beans, peas, lentils and legumes
• Dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach, fenugreek, amaranthus, etc.
• Dry fruits and nuts
• Cow’s milk and other dairy products like paneer, yoghurt, etc.
Your body’s absorption of iron can be increased by increasing the intake of vitamin C-rich foods, like the following:
• Broccoli
• Orange
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Lemons and lime
• Melons
• Tomatoes
• Tangerines
• Bell peppers or capsicum
• Leafy greens