Iron deficiency in Indians

             A lot of Indians suffer from Iron deficiency due to our diet. We tend to focus on a lot of other vitamins and forget about our necessary Iron intake. Iron is required for Haemoglobin, an important factor in the red blood cells which is used in the transportation of oxygen in the body. If a person has Iron deficiency, the blood cells in their body will have a decreased ability to transport oxygen which can be life threatening.


             Some of the causes of Iron deficiency are pregnancy, menstruation (women), chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal blood loss, improper diet and malabsorption. Pregnant women need more Iron than normal because all the Iron in their body is received by the baby. Women with heavy menstrual flow tend to develop Iron deficiency after some time, as well. Chronic kidney disease leads to the kidneys being unable to filter the minerals in the body, including Iron. Bleeding in the stomach and intestinal wall causes this deficiency too.


             This deficiency can be overcome by taking care of ourselves and get our health regularly checked. Proper diet is extremely important, especially for women. One can also get iron tablets or salts for consumption. We must not be lethargic when it comes to issues regarding health. We need to protect ourselves and help protect others as well.