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The best home remedies for iron deficiency
Tips for self-treatment of iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiency symptoms and is shown by e.g. through brittle nails, torn corners of the mouth, striking blotches and concentration problems. A deficiency can be determined by a blood test and, depending on the extent, can be treated with suitable medicines. Alternatively or in addition, proven home remedies can be used to balance the iron balance in a natural way. For more severe deficiency symptoms, however, a medication from the attending physician is unavoidable.
contents
- Tips for self-treatment of iron deficiency
- First aid for deficiency symptoms: Ferrous foods
- Drinks against deficiencies
- Be careful with coffee, fast food and coke
- Iron is recorded differently
- Assortment of foods
- Herbs against iron deficiency
- Natural treatment with homeopathy and Schüssler salts
- Why does the body need iron??
- Reasons for an iron deficiency
- symptoms
- Do not always help home remedies
First aid for deficiency symptoms: Ferrous foods
In the case of a slight deficiency, it is often helpful to prefer food containing iron to the daily intake of food. These include, in particular, meat, sausage, pork liver and fish; alternatively, the increased need can be covered by various fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and certain spices.
Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and white beans contain a lot of iron and are therefore a good alternative to meat. (Image: emuck / fotolia.com) Recommended are, for example, beetroot and carrots. These can be drunk in juice form, steamed or eaten raw. Likewise pumpkin and red berries, such as currants, elderberries or raspberries counteract iron deficiency. The same applies to nuts and seeds (for example Brazil nuts, almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds) as well as wholegrain cereals and leafy vegetables such as fennel, chard, rocket and zucchini. Applesauce or dry fruits such as peaches, apricots or dates are very suitable. The same applies to legumes (beans, peas, etc.), chanterelles, parsley and salsify.
To support the uptake of trivalent iron, foods should be supplemented with foods containing vitamin C (such as lemon). In order for the body to be e.g. Oatmeal can help iron to break out, and a glass of orange juice helps. Whole wheat bread works better when raw food is consumed. Since lactic acid supports iron absorption. is e.g. Sauerkraut a good supplement.
Drinks against deficiencies
In order to rebalance the nutrient balance, ferrous foods in liquid form provide a good supplement or alternative - especially for vegetarians and vegans. These include red juices from raspberries, currants, cherries, blueberries or grapes, pomegranate juice and beetroot juice. The health food store has a so-called "herbal blood juice" ready, which can be effectively used in cases of iron deficiency.
Be careful with coffee, fast food and coke
Black tea and coffee hinder the intake of iron in the body through the contained tannin - especially when it is consumed a lot. Phosphates, such as those found in fast foods or, for example, in cola, also have a counterproductive effect. In the spinach, which was once so famous, it was found that the oxalic acid contained therein also hindered the uptake of the trace element. The acid also occurs in cocoa and rhubarb.
Iron is recorded differently
The absorption capacity of iron is different. Divalent iron, which is found mainly in meat, sausage, liver and fish, can be absorbed about ten times better than the trivalent form. Vegetable iron is present in a trivalent form, which makes the absorption in the body a little more difficult. In addition, the secondary plant substances (phytates) contained in plants have an inhibitory effect.
However, this does not mean that vegetarians or vegans necessarily suffer from iron deficiency. Remedy the additional intake of vitamin C, for example in the form of orange juice. Not every amount of iron that is supplied to the body is also available there immediately. So the body can cope with small, more frequent gifts better than a large amount at once.
Assortment of foods
If the main suppliers of iron - meat and sausage products - are not consumed, the right composition of the food is particularly important to prevent a deficiency. It is recommended, for example, in the morning to muesli with oatmeal a glass of "red juice" (for example, raspberry juice) to drink. To a wholemeal bun fit a few spoons of sauerkraut to ensure adequate supply.
Dairy products should not be eaten together with iron-containing foods as the calcium may inhibit the absorption of iron. Especially when affected suffer from a cold or other infection, the supply of the trace element is very important because each infection is an "iron robber".
Whether as a tea or in a salad: nettles contain a lot of iron and can compensate for a deficiency in a natural and gentle way. (Image: nelje / fotolia.com) Herbs against iron deficiency
Stinging nettles belong to the medicinal herbs, which contain a lot of good iron and can help pure (in the salad), in the soup, as a smoothie or tea with deficiency symptoms. In addition, the "wild vegetables" contain many valuable vitamins, silicic acid and lecithin, which help to strengthen the defense system and to stimulate the metabolism.
Recipe for a cup of nettle tea
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A nettle tincture is especially effective in iron deficiency. This is a herbal extract with alcohol, in which not only the water-soluble, but also the alcohol-soluble substances are dissolved from the plants. Since the alcohol is preserved, tinctures have a very long shelf life, only after about a year, the active ingredients slowly lose strength.
Making tinctures yourself is not difficult and you then have a herbal preparation in the medicine cabinet, which can be taken directly if necessary.
You need it for a nettle tincture:
Put the dried or crushed fresh nettles (gloves!) Into the preserving jar and pour in the alcohol. Close the glass well and leave it in a warm place for three weeks. In the meantime, carefully shake the neck again and again. After the lapse of time, the tincture is strained (e.g., by a tea filter) and transferred to the dark bottle. Take 20-30 drops in a little water twice a day. |
Much iron is found in dandelions. You can enjoy this as a salad or in a teaspoon, possibly mixed with stinging nettles. The same applies to thyme and mint. Enrich your food with herbs, such as parsley, chives and cress, which usually has a positive effect on the iron balance. A good help with anemia due to a deficiency are daisies whose ingredients in the salad act as a "blood cleanser".
Natural treatment with homeopathy and Schüssler salts
Homeopathy offers a shortage among others Ferrum pentarcane on. It is a complexing agent that not only contains the trace element itself, but also promotes the iron absorption capacity of the body.
Recommended for anemia due to a deficiency Ferrum metallicum. This is made of iron and can thereby relieve most anemia-typical symptoms such as tiredness, irritability, concentration problems, paleness or brittle hair.
Anyone wishing to encounter iron deficiency with the help of nature can take the Schüssler salt no. 3 (Ferrum phosphoricum) as a sensible supplement to ferrous foods.
Other suitable Schüssler salts include e.g. Calcium phosphoricum (# 2) to support cell regeneration and Manganum sulfuricum (# 17) for better iron uptake.
Why does the body need iron??
Iron is an essential trace element, which means that it can not be made by the body itself, but must be supplied with food. It is a building block of hemoglobin, the red blood pigment of the erythrocytes (red blood cells). Oxygen attaches to the iron in the molecule. In this way, the body is supplied with the vital oxygen via the blood. The trace element is also found in the red muscle pigment (myoglobin), where it also has the task of binding oxygen.
Iron plays an important role in the formation of blood, a deficiency is therefore urgently to be adjusted. (Image: fovito / fotolia.com) Iron is the component of many enzymes and therefore involved in various processes in the human body. Everyone needs it, but the need is dependent on age, gender and phase of life. For example, more of the vital trace element is needed during pregnancy and lactation. Senior citizens, athletes, adolescent children and vegetarians may also be in greater need.
Reasons for an iron deficiency
The causes of iron deficiency are usually an increased need in certain phases of life, one-sided diets (for example, during a diet), bleeding, cancers, infections, hormone disorders, rheumatism and frequent blood donation. Similarly, in many women who have heavy menstruation, the need is increased.
As a further option, the intestine may be "to blame" if too little iron is present. Since the uptake of the trace element takes place in the small intestine, absorption may be impeded in inflammatory bowel diseases. Other reasons may be low levels of stomach acid or medications, such as antibiotics, antacids (to neutralize gastric juice), and analgesics.
symptoms
Depending on the extent, an inadequate supply of iron causes a variety of symptoms. These include reduced performance, fatigue, headache, weather sensitivity, irritability, shortness of breath, pale and brittle skin, brittle hair, susceptibility to infection, loss of appetite and angular cheilitis (torn corners of the mouth). In addition, due to iron deficiency, fertility can be disturbed and sometimes even thyroid problems arise.
Do not always help home remedies
With a slight deficiency home remedies can be used quite promising. However, if the deficiency is severe, a suitable iron supplement may need to be administered by the attending physician. However, a strict adherence to the dosage recommendations is appropriate, as too high an iron concentration in the organism can be associated with health problems.
Especially during pregnancy and lactation deficiency symptoms should not be taken lightly. The home remedies mentioned can also be taken concomitantly with a required medication and are extremely useful for the prevention of a deficiency. (sw, nr, updated on 19.8.2016)