Iron Deficiency: an invisible enemy for many people, as dangerous as easy to defeat.

Since I was teenager, I often experienced difficulties in concentration and a poor memory.
At first I didn’t give relevance to this, thinking that it was normal for a girl of that age.
I considered the apathy of those moments as a weakness of my character, and the pale skin with the regular headaches as a result of low blood pressure. I thought.
Some years later, after I started to attend gym regularly, I realized that it was hard for me to follow a normal workout, although previously I used to do sport.
An additional alarm bell was when I saw goosebumps on my arms, because of the cold, even if the temperature around me was near to 40°C (104°F).
After years of misinterpreted clue, thanks also to the diagnosis of a doctor, I figured out that I suffered of an iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world.

It is a condition resulting from a too low level of iron in the body, which can be the leading cause of anemia, although a person can remain on a borderline without becoming fully anemic all life long.

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According to medical studies, there are some groups of people who particularly subject to the risk of developing iron deficiency:

Infants and children - premature babies and those with a low birth weight can be at risk, just as infants who don't get enough iron through breast milk.

Women - monthly menstrual cycles can bring women and teenage girls at risk of iron deficiency.

Vegetarians - people who don't eat meat may have a greater risk of iron deficiency, or anemia, if they don't eat other iron-rich foods.

Blood donors - people who donate blood, especially frequently, may have increased risk of illness as a consequence of the blood donation that could deplete iron stores.

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Common symptoms of iron deficiency:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Frequent infections
• Pale skin
• Swollen tongue
• Abdominal discomfort
• Apathy
• Hair loss
• Brittle nails
• Cold hands and feet
• Poor appetite
• Bad memory
• Difficulties in concentration

Generally, it is possible to prevent, in some causes also to solve iron deficiency with a healthful diet which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk products, lean meats, fish, dry beans, eggs, nuts, and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.
The treatment you will need depend on factors such as your age, health condition and the cause of your iron deficiency. Mostly in cure are included iron supplements and C vitamin.
Don’t forget also that too much iron can be toxic and could damage irreparably your liver!

So, if you think that you experienced one on more of these symptoms, ask to your doctor: often it takes very little to solve this problem common to many people, so to return to live a life full of energy!

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