When it comes to iron deficiency, many people will associate it with anemia. Iron deficiency is indeed a common cause of anemia, however, did you know that? Iron deficiency and coronary heart disease are also closely related, and even have an impact on the risk of death from coronary heart disease. Now, let’s see how this really works.
Iron is important to the human body
Iron is an essential and important trace mineral for the human body. Iron is not only a component of important tissues and organs of the body (such as muscles, liver, spleen, bone marrow, etc.), it is also involved in the synthesis of myoglobin and hemoglobin, and is closely related to oxygen transport in the body. At the same time, iron is also involved in the composition of many enzymes in the body.
About 2/3 of the body’s iron is stored in the hemoglobin of red blood cells. When the body is deficient in iron, the body’s iron stores are gradually depleted and hemoglobin synthesis is reduced, leading to iron deficiency anemia. When the body is severely deficient in iron, it may lead to an increased risk of developing certain diseases.
There are many patients with iron deficiency anemia in China, and the results of our fourth nutrition survey show that the prevalence of anemia is 20.1%, half of which are iron deficiency anemia. It can be imagined that there are few people with iron deficiency.
Preventing iron deficiency can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in middle age
Recent studies have found that most middle-aged people are iron deficient and that iron deficiency is associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease and death.
A study published by scholars at the Heart and Vascular Center of the University of Hamburg, Germany, suggests that iron deficiency is present in most middle-aged adults and that prevention of iron deficiency could reduce the number of new cases of coronary heart disease in the middle-aged population by approximately 10 percent over the next decade.
The study looked at more than 12,000 people in the general population with no previous history of coronary heart disease or stroke, with an average age of 59 years, and classified them into two categories based on their body’s iron deficiency: absolute iron deficiency, which refers to a decline in the body’s stored iron, and functional iron deficiency, which refers to a decline in the body’s stored iron or a decline in the level of iron available for the body’s circulation. At the beginning of the study, 60% of the participants had absolute iron deficiency and 64% had functional iron deficiency.
After a median follow-up of 13.3 years, the analysis found that those with functional iron deficiency had a 24% increased risk of coronary heart disease, a 26% increased risk of cardiovascular death, and a 12% increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those without functional iron deficiency. Compared to those without absolute iron deficiency, those with absolute iron deficiency had a 20% increased risk of coronary heart disease, but it was not associated with mortality.
Beware of side effects if you blindly take large amounts of iron supplements
Of course, the above findings still need to be verified in large-scale studies. But it also suggests that iron deficiency not only leads to anemia, but also may hurt the “heart”, so we should pay enough attention to iron deficiency. Especially for special groups, iron levels should be checked regularly, and the daily diet should pay attention to choosing heme iron-rich animal foods for iron supplementation. So, how to supplement iron scientifically on a daily basis?
First of all, iron deficiency is often found in middle-aged and elderly people, women during pregnancy, childbirth and lactation, and infants and young children. If there is iron deficiency, a reasonable iron supplementation program should be determined under the guidance of a professional doctor, and do not blindly supplement a large amount of iron to cause unnecessary side effects.
Secondly, there is a diet for iron supplementation. We often say that spinach replenishes iron, but the absorption rate of iron in spinach is only 7%, much lower than the absorption rate of iron in animal food. Therefore, it is recommended that we consume red meat, animal blood or liver in moderation to replenish iron. In addition, eating more citrus, green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in vitamin C can promote the absorption of non-heme iron.
