Maximizing Iron Absorption In Your Body

The human body needs different nutrients and minerals to support growth and healthy body functioning. Iron is an important mineral that plays a key role in supporting a healthy body. Your body needs iron to facilitate effective oxygen transportation across the body and facilitate other imperative biochemical reactions. 

But unfortunately, your body does not always absorb all the iron you consume. As a result, many people have to rely on expensive iron supplements in Canada to satisfy the iron requirements of their bodies. Anyone from athletes to women and even children have fallen victim to the adverse implications of iron deficiency. 

Therefore, we take this opportunity to shed light on ways you can enhance the iron absorption in your body. So continue reading to learn more on the subject.   

Iron And Athletes

An athlete’s body is very different from the body of an average human. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that their iron requirements are higher than an average human’s. 

As you might already know, the red blood cells in your body are responsible for transporting oxygen across the body. Thus, active individuals have to deal with the adverse implications of red blood cell destruction that result in an increase in activity. 

This makes it pretty clear why athletes need more iron than an average individual. But this issue becomes even more problematic as most athletes are very cautious about their health and consuming food. Consequently, they steer clear of iron-rich food items such as beef. 

This again increases the chances of them suffering from iron deficiency. Thus, it is always recommended that athletes make up for that with natural iron supplements and give their bodies the right amount of nutrients and minerals they need.           

Iron And Women

The world population is growing by the day, but numbers can be deceptive to a certain extent. Most women these days lack access to the adequate amount of iron their body needs. Low levels of ferritin are now more prevalent than ever were before. Women store only 200-300 mg of iron, which is much less than men, who store 600-1000 mg of iron. 

This is a major concern given the number of blood women lose due to menstruation which further affects the iron levels in their bodies. Most women suffering from iron deficiency have cases of heavy bleeding during menstruation. These issues are always concerning because women from all around the globe suffer from these implications. 

Thus, it becomes even more important for women to focus on enhancing their iron absorption. Every woman needs to consume the best iron supplement for women. This will ensure their bodies have the right amount of iron, especially when they lose a significant amount every month.        

So What’s The Deal With Iron Supplement Absorption?

The law of diminishing returns is more useful than one might presume it to be. As with every other biomarker you can think of, even your iron markers can benefit from applying the law. 

In simple terms, people with the most room for enhancements will automatically enhance the most. Thus as the iron levels in your body begin to increase, there is barely any room left for smaller enhancements. 

In most cases, if your ferritin increases from just 15 mg/dL to 60 mg/dL, your body’s iron absorption capacity can fall from 20% to 10%. Therefore, it becomes evident that this is the level you need to maintain to ensure effective iron absorption. 

Many choose to use the swimming pool analogy to break down this complex subject. For instance, imagine you are using a garden hose to fill the swimming pool in your backyard. Well, enhancing the levels of ferritin is precisely doing that and not much different unless inflammation comes into the picture. Therefore, one cannot compromise using an effective strategy to consume vegan iron supplement and whole foods rich in iron.   

Optimizing Your Iron Supplement Intake 

Taking your iron supplements or even iron-rich food items after or before exercising can hamper the absorption capacity of your body. Of course, you might think that having some beef chops after a long run can help your body better recover. While this might make great sense in theory, the case is not really that simple in practicality.

People often tend to forget that inflammation is at its peak after working out and burning your energy. This automatically has an adverse impact on the iron absorption potential of your body, so you can consider the nutritional properties of your beef chops going straight to waste. Therefore, it would be smart to save those beef chops for a day when the run is not draining.    

Remember, beef chops here are just an example, and there are plenty more excellent sources of iron. Some of them include dark leafy green veggies, beans, fortified cereals, dark chocolates, and even shellfish. 

According to experts, you must consume your iron supplement an hour before your meal or at least two hours after your meal. Basically, the idea here is to ensure your stomach remains empty when you are consuming the supplement. But again, we must acknowledge that following this routine might not always be possible. Therefore, here are a couple of tips to make things easier for you.   

• Cut down your usual snacking habits and eat more in a single sitting during lunch or breakfast. You might be tempted to choose salads for your lunch, but they just cannot provide enough calories. Instead, go for a heavier lunch to ensure effective iron absorption. 
• Always take your liquid iron supplement before going to bed. This is mostly the time when your stomach remains empty, further enhancing the iron absorption capacity of your body. 
• If you need food with your supplements, it is better to go with fruit, or even a small piece will do just fine. Consume citrus fruits rich in vitamin C as they will not interfere with your iron absorption.     

Final Thoughts

As you can see, enhancing the iron absorption capacity of your body is easier than you might have imagined. Therefore, keep this information in mind to ensure effective iron absorption at all times. Additionally, never undermine the significance of iron supplementation for your body.