Did You Know Low Iron Can Lower Your Immunity?
Did you know that being deficient in iron can compromise your body’s immune response? And, certain groups of people are more susceptible to low iron and therefore lowered immunity. These include pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women with heavy menstrual cycles, vegetarians, vegans and endurance athletes.
Iron is an essential mineral that is needed to produce red blood cells, which are important for a healthy immune system, mental function, muscle strength and energy. Its main role is in red blood cells, where it helps make a protein called haemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood from the lungs to all the cells in the body so they can work properly.
It is important to have the correct amount of iron in the body. If you have low iron, you can develop anaemia. If you have too much iron, it can be toxic.
Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting millions of children, pregnant women, the elderly, and hospitalized patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 8% of preschool children, 12% of pregnant women and 15% of non-pregnant women of reproductive age in Australia have anaemia, with iron deficiency being the major cause.
Low Iron and Your Immune System
Your immune system is comprised of two parts: specific and non-specific. Iron deficiency affects the non-specific immune system which controls the general mechanisms your body deploys every day to protect you and your health from outside viruses, bacterium, and disease-causing microorganisms (pathogens).
Your skin and the acid your stomach produces to break down food and pathogens that may enter the body through food are two of many examples of non-specific immunity.
When your iron is low your body’s first line of defense against pathogens is not as active and so you are more vulnerable to infection and disease, and other health complications. But, increasing blood iron in situations where iron levels are low may boost immunity and improve health and wellbeing.
In new research it has been found that low blood serum iron levels can inhibit T-cell and B-cell immune responses to infections because immune cells need iron to support their metabolism. T-cells are crucial for destroying infected cells, for helping the antibody response to infections, and for remembering infections (immune memory). T-cells need large amounts of iron; and if iron is scarce, the mitochondria in T-cells generate less energy, making the T-cells less able to carry out their functions and fight infections.
Frequent infections is a lesser-known symptom of iron deficiency. Other symptoms of iron deficiency include:
weakness, fatigue, reduced exercise performance, difficulty in concentrating, and poor work productivity
neurocognitive dysfunction including irritability
aches and pain in the joints and muscles
restless legs syndrome
poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born to mothers with iron deficiency
A healthy, adequately functioning immune system is fundamental to good health. Iron deficiency can have a ripple effect of possible health complications for groups of people who are more vulnerable to low iron.
Pregnant & Breastfeeding Women
A woman’s immune system undergoes complex changes during pregnancy. In order for her body to successfully carry the baby for nine months, her body’s immune system must be strong to avoid illness and communicable diseases, and also to adapt to “tolerate” the fetus.
Women are already more prone to developing iron deficiency than men and pregnancy can increase the risk. Of the two billion people worldwide who have low iron, pregnant women are the most affected group. Iron deficiency in pregnancy and during breastfeeding can cause mild symptoms such as irritability, to moderate symptoms like postpartum depression, and if left untreated can even lead to the onset of auto-immune disorders in the first 3 months of the post-partum period.
Women with Heavy Menstrual Flow
All women should carefully monitor their iron levels; however women who experience heavy menstrual bleeding are at a greater risk for developing iron deficiency than women with average menstrual blood loss.
You may be surprised to learn that a woman’s immune system weakens during ovulation. This makes ovulating women more prone to infections from yeast, bacteria and viruses.
Women suffering from a heavy menstrual flow should take special care to consume iron-rich foods and consider iron supplementation throughout their cycles particularly before and during ovulation.
It is best to discuss iron supplementation with your GP or Naturopath.
Vegans & Vegetarians
The body can’t make iron, so you need to get it from food. If you do not eat as much iron as you use each day, you develop iron deficiency.
It is recommend that vegetarians consume almost twice the amount of iron as non-vegetarians, due to the difficulty our bodies have absorbing non-heme (plant-based) iron and the presence of iron-blocking micronutrients in most plant-based diets.
Following a balanced plant-based diet is a healthy way to eat. In fact, studies have shown well-planned, whole food plant-based diets that offer an array of nutrients may actually enhance immunity.
The tip here is that vegans and vegetarians who have been diagnosed with iron deficiency or are predisposed to iron deficiency should aim to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables and consider supplementation to protect their iron levels, and thus, support their immunity.
Endurance Athletes
Athletes who train at the elite or sub-elite level are more susceptible to iron deficiency thanks to losing iron through dehydration, sweat, or red blood cell destruction. Research has found that prolonged bouts of strenuous exercise can result in lowered immune function.
Athletes with a weakened immune system can see results such as slower recovery and greater risk of illness or illness-like symptoms such as upper respiratory symptoms and infections.
Supporting Your Body’s Iron Levels
The most common ways to support your body’s iron stores is to:
eat more foods high in iron
eat more foods containing vitamin C to help you absorb iron better
consume less foods and drinks that stop you absorbing iron, like calcium, fibre, tea, coffee and wine
take iron tablets or liquid iron supplements.
If your iron levels get super low your GP or obstetrician may recommend you have an intravenous infusion of iron or (in extreme cases) a blood transfusion.
In Chinese Medicine low iron is referred to as blood deficiency. The quality of our blood is a measure of the available nourishment circulating in the body. And, its quality depends on the quality of food we eat and our ability to absorb nourishment.
The Blood is also said to house the mind (our spirit) and that our body and mind are integrated in the blood. The blood enables our thoughts and emotions to be grounded in the body. If the blood is weak or undernourished the mind/spirit can float. This can present as difficulty with sleeping.
Blood is easily improved through diet. A diet rich in fresh vegetables is essential. Especially dark green leafy vegetables and chlorophyll rich foods as well as adequate protein and grains. Foods which especially support the blood include: aduki bean, apricot, beef, beetroot, bone marrow, cherry, egg, cuttlefish, dandelion, dang gui, date, fig, grape, kale, kelp, kidney bean, leafy greens, liver, longan, microalgae, mussel, nettle, octopus, oyster, parsley, sardine, seaweed, spinach, stout, squid, sweet rice, tempeh and watercress.
A shiatsu massage can support the blood through the use of particular acupressure points that “tonify” the blood and can improve the circulation of blood throughout the body. A treatment will also look at the function of your digestive system and improve it so that your ability to absorb nutrients is increased.