Will the “lucky fish” help you lift your iron? An expert will explain. : Science Alert

Iron deficiency is one of them. The most common micronutrient deficiencies In the world. Eating iron-rich foods is the best way to combat iron deficiency, but some users on social media claim there’s an even easier way to get more iron in your diet.

According to some influencers, adding cast iron “fish” to your meals while cooking is an easy way to increase the iron content in your diet and improve iron deficiency.

Although there is some evidence to suggest that this technique is effective, increasing iron levels in the body is much more complex than it seems on the surface.

Iron deficiency affects millions of people worldwide. Around 8 per cent of women (23 per cent of pregnant women) and 3 per cent of men in the UK iron deficiency.

Iron is an important micronutrient that plays many important roles in the body. that AIDS It boosts metabolism, helps form red blood cells, carries oxygen to muscles, and helps build DNA.

There is approximately 4g of iron in the adult body. However, due to improper eating habits and various health conditions, iron deficiency.

For example, during pregnancy, your body needs iron for your baby to grow. Heavy menstrual flow can lead to iron loss. Gastrointestinal diseases such as stomach ulcers celiac diseasecan also cause iron deficiency. Certain drugs (such as painkillers and aspirin) can also cause iron deficiency as a side effect by causing bleeding or reducing the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Iron deficiency can cause a variety of symptoms, including brain fog, sleep disturbances, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and restless legs. Fatigue may be worse in women who are pregnant or have just given birth. Children can develop iron deficiency. affects brain growth – May lead to cognitive decline in adolescence.

Long-term iron deficiency can cause symptoms such as: anemia. This condition means that the body produces fewer red blood cells It can make you feel more tired than necessary, short of breath, and even have heart palpitations.

absorption of iron

One of the best ways to treat iron deficiency is through diet. All foods such as meat, fish, shellfish, organ meats, lentils, soybeans, and green vegetables (broccoli, etc.) Contains iron. Many of the foods we consume on a daily basis, such as rice and cereals, reinforced with iron.

However, iron absorption is not always an easy process. This means iron deficiency can be difficult to treat.

In iron deficiency, the body absorbs iron more efficiently, but this micronutrient Not always readily available in our food.

Not only that, but iron can also become “handcuffed” by other substances in the intestines, preventing it from being absorbed by the body.

For example, phytate (a natural substance found in plant seeds) found in grains, beans, and legumes prevents iron from being absorbed from the intestines. They are called “Anti-nutrients” Because of this ability.

Foods rich in calcium, polyphenols contained in tea, coffee Wine, oxalic acid from spinach and chard, and phosvitin from eggs also act as antinutrients. reduce available iron.

So even if you think you’re eating a healthy diet rich in fiber, vegetables, and other micronutrients, your diet can inadvertently compromise your iron intake.

To combat this, you can separate meals throughout the day into iron-rich meals and meals that contain iron-binding foods.

Or you can use vitamin Use C to free available iron. some practical method This includes adding lemon juice and other citrus fruits, bell peppers, and green vegetables. iron-rich diet.

Iron supplement It may be prescribed for iron deficiency. However, iron supplements can cause stomach upset and constipation for some people.

iron fish

Dishes using cast iron “fish” Suggested by TikTok userit can also help improve your iron intake if you are iron deficient.

cast iron Pots and pans are standard cooking vessels in many cultures. Trace amounts of iron are known to leach from these into foods. increase iron intake. Studies conducted in people living in low- and middle-income countries show that cast iron pots can improve symptoms. iron of food cooked there.

Learning about this, students at the University of Guelph in Canada created a prototype iron disc that could be used by rural Cambodian families in their aluminum cooking pots. Dr. Childs reasoned that these could act like iron pots, reducing iron deficiency in areas where poor households have relatively low amounts of iron in their diets. His family disliked the aesthetics of his first disc, so he altered it to look like this: Try a fish called “Cantrop” – Cambodian amulet.

In a study using this reusable fish-shaped ingot, Improvement of iron deficiency anemia Not only in rural areas of Cambodia; Peru.

Therefore, daily cooking with “fish” containing iron can improve iron intake, improve iron deficiency. However, no trials have compared ingots to oral supplements or investigated the value of ingots for people on iron-rich diets.

Cast iron charms are a reasonable addition to your daily cooking, but when it comes to increasing your iron intake, there’s probably nothing better than supplements and dietary changes. Also, even if you use cast iron pots or ingots while cooking, it may be difficult for your body to absorb minerals, depending on what foods you include in your diet.

Colin MitchieVice Dean, Faculty of Medicine; University of Central Lancashire

This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License. please read original article.