Iron deficiency anemia - update

Normal count is 20 and above, my count 3 months ago was 9, now it is 3. Now, I have to take injections that are painful, going to leave a tattoo mark that will never go away, and other side effects. Not only that but it will take up to 3 years to recover and rebuild my iron!!! Like I want more pain in my life. I cannot do these treatments!

 Milky

Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues.

As the name implies, iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen. As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath.

You can usually correct iron deficiency anemia with iron supplementation. Sometimes, additional treatments for iron deficiency anemia are necessary, especially if you're bleeding internally.


Initially, iron deficiency anemia can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify.

Iron deficiency anemia symptoms may include: 

• Extreme fatigue - check
• Pale skin - check
• Weakness - check
• Shortness of breath - only sometimes
• Headache - check
• Dizziness or lightheadedness - only sometimes
• Cold hands and feet - only sometimes
• Irritability - check
• Inflammation or soreness of your tongue - no
• Brittle nails - a bit
• Fast heartbeat - check
• Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or starch - check
• Poor appetite, especially in infants and children with iron deficiency anemia - not the best
• An uncomfortable tingling or crawling feeling in your legs (restless legs syndrome) - check

Food Sources of Iron

 

Information about Iron

 

Iron is a mineral that is important for good health.

Iron carries oxygen to all parts of your body.

Low iron levels can leave you tired, pale-looking and irritable.

 

How Much Iron Should I Aim For?

 

Age in years 

Aim for an intake of* milligrams (mg)/day Stay below* mg/day

 

Men 19 and older intake 8 stay below 45

Women 19-50 intake 18 stay below 45

Women 51 and older intake 8 stay below 45

Pregnant women 19 and older intake 27 stay below 45

Breastfeeding women 19 and older intake 9 stay below 45

* This includes sources of iron from food and supplements.

Vegetarians need almost twice the daily recommended amount of iron compared with non-vegetarians. Iron from plant-based foods is not absorbed as well by our bodies as animal food sources.

 

Iron Content of Some Common Foods

 

You can find iron in both animal and plant foods. Animal sources (called "heme iron") include meat, fish and poultry. Our bodies easily absorb this type of iron. Plant sources (called "non-heme iron") include dried beans, peas and lentils and some fruits and vegetables.

In Canada, grain products like flour, pasta and breakfast cereals are fortified with iron. Our bodies better absorb this type of iron when taken along with meat/chicken/fish or a source of vitamin C. Vitamin C rich foods include citrus fruits and juices, cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers.

Food Serving Size Iron (mg)

 

Vegetables and Fruit

 

Spinach, cooked 125 mL (½ cup) 3.4

Tomato puree 125 mL (½ cup) 2.4

Asparagus, raw 6 spears 2.1

Potato, with skin, cooked 1 medium 1.3-1.9

Prune juice 125 mL (½ cup) 1.6

Apricots, dried 60 mL (¼ cup) 1.6

Beets, canned 125 mL (½ cup) 1.6

Beet greens, cooked 125 mL (½ cup) 1.5

Artichoke, cooked 1 medium 1.6

Kale, cooked 125 mL (½ cup) 1.3

Green peas, cooked 125 mL (½ cup) 1.3

Tomato sauce 125 mL (½ cup) 1.3

 

Grain Products

 

Cream of wheat, all types, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 5.7-5.8

Oatmeal, instant, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 5.1-6.3

Cereal, dry, all types 30 g (check product label for serving size) 4.0

Cracker, soda 6 crackers 2.3

Granola bar, oat, fruits and nut 1 bar 2.3

Oat bran cereal, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 1.6

Pasta, egg noodles, enriched, cooked 125 mL (½ cup) 1.3

 

Milk and Alternatives 

This food group contains very little of this nutrient

 

Meat and Alternatives

 

Meat and Poultry

 

Duck, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.0-7.4

Moose, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 3.8

Beef, various cuts, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.4-3.3

Ground meat (beef, lamb), cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.3-2.2

Turkey, various types, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.0-2.0

Chicken, various types, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.4-2.0

Ground meat (turkey, chicken, pork),cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.8-1.5

Pork, various cuts, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 0.6-1.1

 

Organ Meat

 

Liver, pork, cooked* 75 g (2 ½ oz) 13.4

Liver (chicken, turkey, lamb) cooked* 75 g (2 ½ oz) 6.2-9.7

Kidney, lamb 75 g (2 ½ oz) 9.3

Liver, beef, cooked* 75 g (2 ½ oz) 4.9

Kidney (beef, veal, pork), cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.3-4.4

 

Fish and Seafood

 

Clams, canned 75 g (2 ½ oz) 21

Oysters, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 3.3-9

Shrimp, cooked 75 g (2 ½ oz) 2.3

Sardines, canned 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.7-2.2

Tuna, light, canned in water 75 g (2 ½ oz) 1.2

 

Meat Alternatives

 

Pumpkin or squash seeds 60 mL (¼ cup) 8.6

Tofu 175 mL (¾ cup) 7.3-8.0

Soybeans, mature, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 6.5

Lentils, cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 4.9

Beans (white, kidney, navy, pinto, black, roman/cranberry), cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 2.6-4.9

Peas (chickpeas/garbanzo beans, blackeyed,split), cooked 175 mL (¾ cup) 1.9-3.5

Sunflower seeds, without shell 60 mL (¼ cup) 2.5

Baked beans, canned 175 mL (¾ cup) 2.2

Nuts (cashews, almonds, hazelnuts,macadamia, pistachio nuts), without shell 60 mL (¼ cup)1.3-2.2

Egg, cooked 2 large 1.2-1.8

Soy nuts 60 mL (¼ cup) 1.7

Hummus 60 mL (¼ cup) 1.4

Almond butter 30 mL (2 Tbsp) 1.2

 

Other

 

Blackstrap molasses 15 mL (1 Tbsp) 3.6

 

* Pregnant women should limit intake of liver to one serving every two weeks.