Skin & Iron
A deficiency in Iron is generally called Anaemia (‘-aemia’ referring to blood). Whilst the impact of low iron predominantly takes a toll on energy levels, it also manifests by skin looking very pale and sometimes sore areas emerging at the corners of the mouth.
Very simplistically, there are two forms of iron; heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found in meat and seafood, whist non-heme iron is found in plant foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes (beans and pulses), leafy green vegetables and wholegrain complex carbohydrates. Heme iron is fairly bioavailable to the body, whereas non-heme iron is notoriously tricky for the body to absorb and obtain through diet since in iron-rich foods there are completing factors to those which would otherwise naturally facilitate the transport of iron from the intestines into the blood
(As a side note, the bioavailability of iron from a vegetarian diet is 10% as opposed to 18% from an omnivore diet, thus vegetarians need 1.8 times higher dietary intake of iron than meat-poultry-and-fish-eating individuals.)
The process of iron absorption is achieved through specific proteins in the body - Ferritin and Transferrin - which facilitate the process of iron absorption, distribution, and storage. These proteins bind to iron in the blood plasma to transport it into the body’s tissues. These proteins are critical to the distribution of iron around the body since iron does not exist in its free form within the body, which is perhaps fortuitous since too much free iron could damage cell membranes through hyper-proliferation of free radicals.
(Free radicals are atoms with an incomplete outer shell of electrons. This makes them unstable and want to steal electrons from stable atoms, (those with a full outer shell of electrons), which themselves then become unstable … and the cycle goes on. As an aside, this is why Nutritionists often talk about the importance of antioxidants - see previous Blog Post on Skin & Antioxidants - since these foods are able to ‘donate’ missing electrons to free radicals without themselves becoming free radicals. Clever, eh!)
To add further complexity, the body’s ability to absorb iron is different from other minerals due to the absence of any physiological excretion processes for iron. (Surprisingly, too high levels of iron [Hemochromatosis] are not as uncommon as you might think given that the body finds it so difficult to absorb.) Although fairly unusual, if Hemochromatosis is unregulated a chronic excess of iron in the body may lead to increased risks of skin lesions, abscesses and/or cellulitis.
Therefore, finding the right balance in regulating and supporting your iron level is key. As mentioned, it is not that straightforward to absorb iron through diet. However, as a starting point, the following foods can simply and sustainably be introduced into your daily diet to try to support iron levels as best you can, (unless you have excess iron – Hemochromatosis – in which case definitely seek medical advice on how to manage your iron levels);
Red meat (but not too much since this may be a pro-inflammatory food)
Tofu
Dried fruits e.g. dried apricots
Legumes; chickpeas, peas, red kidney beans
Nuts (if you are not allergic)
Eggs (if you are not allergic / intolerant)
Pumpkin seeds
It is also recommended to eat iron-rich foods alongside foods rich in Vitamin C, since Vitamin C is a useful conduit in assisting the absorption of iron into the body. Examples of Vitamin C rich foods include;
Oranges
Strawberries
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Potato (white and sweet)
The Kakadu Plum is the richest vitamin C food source.
A final Nifty Nutr’ism on the subject of iron bioavailability; try to avoid drinking tea or coffee alongside meals – especially those containing iron-rich foods, as the tannin content in these caffeinated drinks may make it even more difficult for iron to be absorbed and appropriately redirected to the parts of the body that most need iron.
NOTE: Text References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540969/
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist or your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
If you are struggling with skin and/or nutrient (im)balance issues and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Eat Drink Think Nutrition®.
