Iron supplements, Benefits and drawbacks of regular usage of these pills

Iron is one of the most important nutrients that human body requires. Iron has several important roles in the body one of them is keeping you healthy and full of energy. Low iron levels in the body commonly cause unpleasant symptoms like tiredness, poor concentration and frequent bouts of illness. However, it is not easy to detect iron deficiency always. If one is not able to reverse iron deficiency by diet can go for iron supplementation.

• Symptoms pointing towards low iron levels

Majority of population around the globe faces iron deficiency at one point of life. Though initial deficiency do not cause severe effects, but when it left untreated it can cause serious condition known as iron deficiency anaemia. Some of the symptoms that are results of Iron deficiency in the body are,

• Tiredness 

• Shortness of breath 

• Concentration difficulty 

• Frequent illness 

• Pale skin 

• Headache 

• Itches 

• Difficulty in swallowing and sore tongue 

• Difficulty in tasting 

If one experiences these types of symptoms then should get a check up done or visit the expert. The thing to notice is these symptoms are not typically visible most of the times.

• Predictions and tests to diagnose Iran status

Usually haemoglobin and haematocrit tests are used to detect iron deficiency in the body. However, these tests can only identify Iron deficiency anaemia and found not useful for detecting early stages. Identifying iron deficiency at its early stages is very beneficial, as allows you to address the problem immediately.

• Serum ferritin is gaining popularity to predict iron content in the body. It is currently considered as the most effective and efficient test for diagnosing of Iron deficiency.

• Iron supplements and their benefits

Iron supplements are taken all around the globe to reverse low iron levels or iron deficiency. These are quicker and beneficial dietary supplements that one can add up to daily lifestyle. These supplements are particularly very helpful for people who are more prone to Iron deficiency. People like pregnant, infants, blood donors, cancer patients, patients with gastric surgery, people with heart failure, vegans and vegetarians.

• Harmful effects of iron supplements on body 

It is important to note that unnecessary intake of iron supplements can harm your health. As they contain high dosage of Iron that can create digestive issues and reduce the absorption of other nutrients. Intake of these supplements without deficiency can cause cell damage in some cases, which will subsequently result in coma, organ failure or even death. Unnecessary dosage is especially fatal in infants and children. Therefore, always consult a health care professional or expert before getting your child iron status tested and using supplements.