For those of you who have read my book or my blogs, you will be familiar with the importance of preparing your body before falling pregnant. This article relates to you, ladies, and explains why it is important to have good levels of stored iron in your body before conception.
It is normal for your stored iron or ferritin levels to drop, especially from the second trimester when bub is growing rapidly. This drop is expected and of little consequence provided your levels are not too low to begin with.
Of course, there is the option of an iron infusion, but this brings its own risks.
Let’s begin with foods that provide good levels of iron:
* lean red meat such as beef, venison, lamb, and dark-meat chicken, turkey or fish.
To aid absorption, these should be eaten with green leafy salad and vitamin C-rich such as lemon juice in dressings. You’ll find a comprehensive list of nutrients contained in foods including Vitamin C in Appendix 2 of my book.
Just as certain foods aid iron absorption, there are those that block or significantly slow its absorption. These include:
# caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks), dairy, eggs, chocolate, high fibre, and calcium supplements.
When supplements are needed
If you just can’t raise your iron levels with diet alone, and have eliminated possible pathological causes (such as gastritis, internal or heavy menstrual bleeding, kidney disease, intensive athletic training, inflammation or infection, or Coeliac disease), then you may need to take an iron supplement.
Oral iron supplementation such as Ferrous sulphate, Ferrous fumarate or Iron polymaltose are frequently prescribed to replete body iron stores. However, the high doses required cause numerous undesirable side-effects including gastrointestinal upset, increased oxidative stress, subclinical inflammation and gut microbiome alterations.
Lactoferrin, which is an iron-binding protein, aids in regulating free iron levels in the body and has been observed to possess antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulating and antioxidant activity. Research indicates that lactoferrin is an essential regulator of iron homeostasis as it increases iron absorption, reduces inflammation and sequesters iron during infection.
Iron levels are influenced by inflammation and infection. Lactoferrin is able to modulate inflammatory markers, especially in pregnant women, thus restoring iron homeostasis.
Chronic infection in the gastrointestinal tract by pathogens including Helicobacter pylori and parasites can significantly contribute to iron deficiency. Lactoferrin’s action in carrying iron across the intestinal walls can assist in making it more available for the body’s own iron pool.
It is also recommended to check for possible heavy metal toxicity as these and other environmental toxins affect iron absorption and utilisation in the body.
How to supplement
It is important to, not only get a quality iron supplement prescribed by a qualified health professional, but to know when to take your iron.
Iron supplements have the highest absorption rate when taken immediately post exercise. Alternately, supplements should be taken with a meal containing quality protein (preferably meats as listed above).
Iron supplements are best taken every other day, not daily as this can actually block absorption. Your practitioner will be able to explain more about how and when and what’s best for you.
Iron infusions
There are, of course, times when an iron infusion becomes necessary. These should be infused over a period of several hours to enable optimal uptake by your body and avoid excessive oxidative damage. It is also beneficial to ensure your body is replete (has sufficient levels) in antioxidants including glutathione; Vitamins A, D, and C; R-Lipoic acid, resveratrol, to name a few. The best sources for these and vital polyphenols come from organic colourful vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, and quality extra-virgin cold pressed organic olive oil.
Should your doctor insist that an iron infusion is necessary, please advise your supporting naturopath for the appropriate anti-oxidant support.
Prevention is still the best approach
Having yearly health checks with your doctor, including blood pathology to monitor all essential functions is the best approach. Always request and save the results so you, or your health care practitioner, can monitor for changes and address these before they become a concern. This is, of course, particularly relevant if you intend having a baby any time in the future. Full list of recommended pathology and other tests can be found in Appendix 3 of my book.
More information is in my book – get your copy today.