No Bullsh*t Nutrition Podcast

Episode 2: The Struggle of Iron Deficiency in Women

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Did you know for every 1mL of blood we lose we lose 1mg of iron along with it? So many women I see are struggling with iron stores so I had to talk about this.

Iron is a mineral found in our bodies. It helps make red blood cells and carries oxygen around your body so keeping up your iron intake is extremely important. It assists in energy production and maintains optimal immune function. Various life stages and physical activity levels require more iron, especially during pregnancy!

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Who can diagnose an iron deficiency (not self-diagnosed!)
• My 3 pillars for addressing an iron deficiency
• How to optimise your iron absorption
• Things causing large iron losses

Extra things to note:

• An iron deficiency is only diagnosed through your GP with blood tests.
• Do not take iron supplements if you haven’t had a blood test to confirm an iron deficiency

Referenced Material

Craig, et al. (2021). The Safe and Effective Use of Plant-Based Diets with Guidelines for Health Professionals. Nutrients, 13(11), 4144. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114144

Dietitians Australia. (2022). Dietary iron. https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/health-advice/dietary-iron-makes-healthy-bodies

Magnay, J. L., O’Brien, S., Gerlinger, C., & Seitz, C. (2018). A systematic review of methods to measure menstrual blood loss. BMC Women’s Health, 18(1), 142. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-018-0627-8

National Health and Medical Research Council. (2014, March 17). Iron [Nutrient Page]. https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron

Nemeth, E., & Ganz, T. (2021). Hepcidin-Ferroportin Interaction Controls Systemic Iron Homeostasis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(12), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126493

Nutrition Australia. (2021, October 5). Iron. Nutrition Australia. https://nutritionaustralia.org/fact-sheets/iron/

Pasricha, S.-R., Tye-Din, J., Muckenthaler, M. U., & Swinkels, D. W. (2021). Iron deficiency. The Lancet, 397(10270), 233–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32594-0