Taking vitamins every day is a good habit to get into, however many of us could be deficient in key vitamins and not even realise it. You may have been putting your tiredness down to lockdown fatigue, but you could actually be iron deficient.
Iron is a mineral that the body needs for growth and development.
Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
Heavy periods, pregnancy or blood loss can cause iron levels to become low.
Low iron levels or iron deficiency can lead to a range of symptoms, which may be ignored or put down to other factors.
Tofu, green leafy vegetables like spinach, baked potatoes and lentils are also good sources of iron.
Prescribed iron tablets are stronger than the supplements you can buy in pharmacies and supermarkets.
READ RELATED: UK records just three daily Covid deaths in lowest preliminary Sunday total since lockdown began
Depending on what your doctor says, you may need to take them for about six months.
One tip the NHS gives is that drinking orange juice after you’ve taken a tablet may help your body absorb the iron.
Some people get side effects when taking iron tablets like:
- constipation or diarrhoea
- tummy pain
- heartburn
- feeling sick
- black poo
Try taking the tablets with or soon after food to reduce the chance of side effects.
Even if you get these side effects it is important to keep taking the tablets.
Your GP may carry out repeat blood tests over the next few months to check that your iron level is getting back to normal.
Source: Daily Express
