For many of today’s women, life resembles a constant juggling of plates, as they jump from getting the kids ready to school to working their own jobs, then tackling dinner and housework.

Is that fatigue starting to catch up with you? If so, here’s a tip: iron, and here's how to get plenty of it to keep you going.

Iron keeps your body energized by delivering oxygen to red blood cells, helps regulate cell growth, and utilizes energy in metabolism. What’s more, iron is part of the protein myoglobin in muscles, which makes oxygen available for muscle contractions.

But in this rushed society, many women struggle with consuming enough of the mineral. In fact, that lack of iron could be the culprit in fatigue, impaired thinking and reasoning abilities, and an inability to fight off sickness, among other problems, nutrition experts warn.

Hurting job performance?

“Women have higher needs for iron than men because of menstruation and pregnancy,” says Theresa Stahl, a registered dietitian whose columns appear regularly in Nubella’s health and nutrition weekly e-newsletter. “With the above functions, you can see why a working woman can’t afford to be iron deficient – it may certainly impact work performance.”

Iron-deficiency anemia afflicts about one in five women of reproductive age, especially vegetarians and vegans who don’t eat enough iron-rich foods and have heavy menstrual periods.

Women are most at risk for iron-deficient anemia because they lose two to three tablespoons of blood each month during their reproductive years, resulting in a substantial loss of iron -  and many have difficulty replacing the lost iron through diet alone, scientists at Harvard Medical School say.

Doctors usually treat the condition through iron supplements. But to avoid getting to that stage, women ages 19 to 50 need at least 18 milligrams of iron a day. Since menstruation usually ends after about 50, older women need about 8 milligrams a day, Stahl suggests. 

However, too much iron can create all kinds of health problems, even rare cases of toxicity and death, so the upper limit is 45 milligrams per day, according to the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

In addition to fatigue and impaired immunity, other symptoms of iron deficiency include pale skin, nail beds and mucous membranes. The body also may fail to regulate temperature and even the craving of non-food items like clay, dirt, paper and ice.

Yes, dirt, paper and ice.

“I have personally known three people who craved ice and munched on ice all day long,” Stahl says. “I recommended each of them have a simple blood test to check for iron deficiency. All three were iron deficient. They stopped craving ice when their iron deficiency improved.”

Sources of iron

But where can women in this busy world get iron? Besides all the meat, fish and poultry sources of iron, women can find plenty of iron in plant-based and fortified foods, such as whole-wheat bread, spinach, and different types of beans.

Your body will more readily absorb iron from meat than from plant foods, but you can boost the absorption by consuming foods and beverages rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and orange juice, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, and potatoes, Stahl suggests.

Even the cookware you use can help: iron from the pots in which foods are cooked can get into whatever you’re preparing, especially if the foods are acidic, such as tomato sauces, she adds. 

What’s more, you also can prepare for your golden years by keeping in mind that iron may also make a difference in your bone health. Scientists at the University of Arizona and University of Arkansas say that postmenopausal women in their study who consumed at least 18 milligrams of iron a day had the greatest bone mineral density levels.
 
The role of iron in bone density may be linked to its role in the production of collagen, a key component of our bones. The researchers also found that iron’s bone benefits are possibly tied to consuming from 800 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day.

Check these out . . .

•  Find a treasure chest of iron-fortified foods in Nubella’s 6,000-plus Recipe Database and Healthy Cooking Center, such as Broccoli-Tomato Salad and Smoking Shrimp Creole.

•  Mineral Maintenance

•  Simple Steps: Shoring Up Your Immunity

•  Vim, Vigor, and Vitamins

•  Little-Known Nutritional Secrets of Everyday Foods

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Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.