You may also find that low iron causes weight gain. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, your energy levels are low and so your exercise levels reduce; secondly, iron is essential for thyroid function, and an underactive thyroid will lead to weight gain.
It causes fatigue and shortness of breath. The connection between low iron, body weight, and hemoglobin is apparent when low energy makes exercising and burning calories difficult, causing weight gain. Conversely, iron deficiency anemia may contribute to decreased appetite, resulting in weight loss.
Severe iron deficiency anaemia may increase your risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs, such as an abnormally fast heartbeat (tachycardia) or heart failure, where your heart is unable to pump enough blood around your body at the right pressure.
Both heavy menstrual bleeding and iron deficiency, with or without anemia, adversely impact quality of life-heavy menstrual bleeding during the episodes of bleeding and iron deficiency on a daily basis.
It is not uncommon for an iron deficiency to present alongside uncomfortable gut symptoms like gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
In many cases, mild iron deficiency anemia comes on so gradually that you may not even know you're anemic. Symptoms of mild anemia are subtle and include feeling grumpy, weak or tired more often than usual and getting headaches or perhaps having problems concentrating.
Gastrointestinal side-effects are the most commonly reported adverse effects associated with oral iron treatment and include nausea, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation, and black or tarry stools [11,12,13,14,15].
Anaemia, a condition caused by low iron levels, can also cause pink period blood. 'Iron is what gives the blood its red colour, and blood may become lighter if iron is low,' explains Dr Rosén.
While women with well-stocked iron supplies do not necessarily need to take iron during their period, iron is definitely recommended for women with heavy menstrual bleeding and/or for those who tend to have low ferritin levels.
Iron and TIBC are measured in micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL). Normal results for iron are: 70 to 175 mcg/dL for men. 50 to 170 mcg/dL for women.
Living with anemia
Following treatment, most people go on to live normal, healthy lives. However, anemia can have lasting, or life-threatening, effects. These are more common if the condition is chronic, severe, or left untreated.
A severe low hemoglobin level for men is 13.5 gm/dL or lower. For women, a severe low hemoglobin level is 12 gm/dL.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can indeed lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not a direct result of the deficiency. Instead, vitamin B12 deficiency causes lethargy or lack of energy, and in turn, inactivity causes weight gain. When you lack the energy to move, you don't burn fat.
And when it comes to our hair, iron plays a vital role. “Iron is really important for hair growth and hair health,” says dermatologist Melissa Piliang, MD. “When we see patients who are experiencing hair loss, we often perform labs to screen for iron deficiency.
Can low iron affect fertility? The link between iron and fertility is often ignored, however, low iron levels majorly impact your ability to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy. Iron deficiency has been linked to infertility, miscarriages, low birth weight and preterm labour.
A heavy menstrual cycle is the leading cause of low iron in women. In some cases, some women can lose too much blood during their menstrual cycle. This blood is replaced but not fast enough. Over time, month after month of extra blood loss, iron levels decrease.
Almonds are rich in protein, fibre, vitamin E, calcium, copper, magnesium and riboflavin. They are also a source of iron, potassium, zinc and the B vitamins, niacin, thiamine and folate. A 30-gram serving has 13g of healthy unsaturated fats and 1g of saturated fat.
While there's little scientific evidence backing this claim up, weight gain from iron pills does happen 6. One study found that individuals with iron deficiency anemia complained of weight gain during their treatment, even though oral preparations of iron aren't known to cause weight gain as a side effect.
Excess iron is stored in your organs, especially your liver, heart and pancreas. Too much iron can lead to life-threatening conditions, such as liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.
Conditions like celiac disease,ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease can make it harder for your intestines to absorb iron. Surgery such as gastric bypass that removes part of your intestines, and medicines used to lower stomach acid can also affect your body's ability to absorb iron.