Introduction
If too little iron is supplied to the body or if a person loses more iron, the body has too little iron available in the long run – there is an iron deficiency. Iron is an important element in the body. As an elementary component of the red blood cells (erythrocytes), it plays a central role in blood formation. Furthermore, iron is a component of various enzymes and thus involved in many metabolic processes. If the iron deficiency becomes visible through changes in the blood count and corresponding symptoms, one speaks of a manifest iron deficiency.
Causes of iron deficiency in vegetarians
The most common cause of iron deficiency in vegetarians is insufficient iron intake through food. Iron from animal foods is up to 3 times better absorbed by the body than from plant products. In general, only a fraction of iron is absorbed from the daily diet.
Foods such as black tea, coffee or cola additionally inhibit the absorption. An unbalanced diet or an unfavorable combination of foods can lead to a drop in the iron value in the body over a longer period of time without being noticed. Nevertheless, a varied vegetarian diet can also cover the daily iron requirements.
Regardless of the diet, blood losses play a not inconsiderable role, especially in women of childbearing age. In order to compensate for iron losses during menstruation, women need a 30% higher iron intake than men. Other causes are bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in people with chronic inflammatory bowel disease or peptic ulcers. Large amounts of blood and iron can be lost unnoticed over a long period of time. More about this:
- Causes for iron deficiency
Diagnosis of iron deficiency in vegetarians
The diagnosis of iron deficiency is often only made when the first symptoms of anemia are already apparent. These include tiredness, paleness of the skin and mucous membranes, and decreasing resilience. Due to the existing iron stores, the body is able to keep the iron in the blood constantly within the normal range over a long period of time, despite a lack of absorption.
The blood count also shows no abnormalities at the beginning of an iron deficiency. To diagnose iron deficiency at an early stage, the iron storage value, the so-called ferritin and the iron transport protein transferrin must therefore be determined. A lowered ferritin and increased transferrin value indicates a latent (not immediately visible) iron deficiency. If this continues, the number of red blood cells and the hemoglobin value will drop. This results in a manifest (visible) iron deficiency.
