Tiredness and fatigue, which do not relief by sleeping
Facts & Myths
Sources of iron
Iron per 100g
Animal-based sources
 |
Liver pate | 5.9mg |
 |
Beef | 3.6mg |
 |
Eggs (fried) | 2.2mg |
 |
Prawns (boiled) | 1.1mg |
Plant-based sources
 |
Chickpeas (boiled) | 2mg |
 |
Kidney beans (canned) | 2mg |
Fruit, nuts and seeds
 |
Figs (partially dried) | 3.9mg |
 |
Apricots (partially dried | 3.4mg |
 |
Almonds | 3mg |
 |
Peanut butter | 2.1mg |
 |
Hazelnuts | 3.2mg |
 |
Sesame seeds | 10.4mg |
 |
Sunflower seeds | 6.4mg |
Vegetables
 |
Broccoli (boiled) | 1mg |
 |
Spinach (boiled) | 1.6mg |
Iron Food Fact Sheet, British Dietetic Association www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts © BDA September 2017. Review date September 2020.
Having low iron, how does it look like?
Shortness of breath in exercise or even daily life
Being pale
Brittle nails & hair
Palpitation
Weakness
Feeling cold all the time
Poor sleep
Restless legs
Low efficacy in school, work or daily life
Weak immune system
Funny eating habits, ex soil, chuck and…
Iron deficiency in United Kingdom:
Substantial proportions of the UK population appear to have iron intakes below dietary recommendations for iron.
Teenagers between 10 to 18 years of age in the United Kingdom have the lowest iron intake in comparison with 4 other European countries (Germany, Ireland, France, Italy)
Girls between 11 to 18 years old have the most risk of iron deficiency in United Kingdom.
48% of girls between 11 to 18 years old have iron intakes below the amount that is estimated to be sufficient for only 2.5% of the population.
A women can lose up to 1.92 mg iron per day on a menstrual cycle
UK men above 75 years of age have the lowest iron intake in comparison with 4 other European countries (Ireland, France, Sweden, Italy and United Kingdom).
Iron deficiency myths to consider:
If you are tired all the time it means you have iron deficiency
If you are iron deficient it is necessarily because of your poor diet
If you are an athlete or you have a healthy life style you won’t suffer from iron deficiency
If you are iron deficient you necessarily have anemia
If you don’t eat meat, you will be iron deficient
If you eat meat, you won’t be iron deficient
If you are vegan or vegetarian, you will be iron deficient
Who need iron supplement?
Infants aged between 6 to 24 months
Children and adolescents, who need more iron to support rapid growth
Adult menstruating women and adolescent girls
Pregnant women
Long-distance runners and other endurance athletes
Dieters and vegetarians, particularly premenopausal women
People taking proton pump inhibitors and H-2 blockers for reflux disease
People who suffer from certain diseases like parasite infections, chronic diseases, patients going through chemotherapy, patients who lost blood due to trauma, operation and..
Anyone who lives in an area where iron deficiency prevalence is beyond 40%, may need iron supplementation