10 Things That Reduces Iron in Your Blood

Our body needs iron to perform certain vital functions, and it’s a key component of hemoglobin. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiency all over the world, and it’s affecting millions of people.

People often try to get more iron in their diet, but it is important to know what things can make you have less iron in your body.

In this blog post, we’ll talk about some of the things that reduces iron in your blood and what you can do to help prevent this.

10 Things That Reduces Iron in Your Blood

There are lots of things that can make your body have less iron. This include the food you eat, the medications, health problems, and lifestyle factors.

Knowing these factors can help you stay healthy and maintain iron levels.

Now let’s look at some of the things that reduces iron in your blood.

1. Iron-Deficient Diet

Vegetarians and vegans may have a high risk of getting low iron, because vegans don’t eat as much iron as people who eat meat. If you want to get more iron in your diet, try eating foods that are high in iron.

Also, eat foods that contains high amounts of vitamin C, because they can help your body absorb iron efficiently.

2. Blood Loss

Blood loss causes iron deficiency anemia if the body does not have enough iron to replace the lost blood cells.

Causes of blood loss are bladder injury, surgery, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

If you have been diagnosed of IDA (iron deficiency anemia), eat foods that are rich in iron and take iron supplements, or get a blood transfusion to help treat it.

3. Pregnancy and Lactation

Pregnant women and lactating mothers, need more iron to support the growth and development of fetus in the womb, and production of breast milk.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, a woman’s body needs a lot more iron than usual.

Several things happen during pregnancy, affecting iron levels:

• Increased blood volume: The body makes 40-50% more blood during pregnancy, which can dilute the iron in the blood.
• Fetal iron demands: The baby needs around 300-400 mg of iron, in the last half of pregnancy.
• Placental transfer: Iron is passed to the baby through the placenta, and this increases to about 2-3 mg a day in the third trimester.
• Hormonal changes: Pregnancy hormones like estrogen make it harder for the body to absorb iron.
• Erythropoiesis: The body makes extra red blood cells for the mother and baby, increasing the need for 500-700 mg more iron.

Lactation also affects iron levels:

• Iron in breast milk: Breast milk contains a small amount of iron (0.2-0.4 mg per liter), and you lose about 0.4-0.8 mg of iron daily through milk production.
• Baby’s needs: A breastfed baby needs 0.7-1.2 mg of iron every day.
• Hormonal changes: Hormones like prolactin and oxytocin make it harder for the body to absorb iron.
• Reduced iron absorption: While breastfeeding, the body absorbs 20-30% less iron from food.

In pregnancy and breastfeeding, the body needs more iron to support both the mother and baby, so it’s important to pay attention to the iron consumption.

To prevent iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy and lactation, prenatal vitamins that contain iron, and consuming iron-rich foods are the best choices.

4. Kidney Disease

Kidney disease reduces the amount of a hormone called erythropoietin that is produced by the kidneys.

Erythropoietin stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow, and when its levels are low, the body may not make enough red blood cells.

Since iron is needed to make red blood cells, lack of erythropoietin decreases the amount of iron in the blood.

5. Iron Chelators

Some drugs interfere with iron absorption and utilization. These drugs are called Iron chelators, they bind with excess iron in the body and helps to remove it. This reduces iron in your blood. Some of the popularly known iron chelators are deferoxamine, deferasirox, and deferiprone.

6. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Heavy menstrual bleeding reduces iron in the blood over time because the body loses significant amounts of iron with each menstrual cycle.

Menstrual blood contains iron, and if a woman starts bleeding heavily during her period, she can lose more iron than her body can replace through diet alone.

Treatment options for heavy menstrual bleeding are hormonal birth control or surgery.

7. Blood Donation

Blood donation can temporarily reduce iron in the blood. If you want to manage your iron levels, you should wait a certain period of time, like two weeks or a month, before donating blood again, and eat a balanced diet that’s rich in iron, to help produce fresh blood with new cells.

8. Tannins

Tannins are compounds found in coffee, tea, and red wine. They have been found to reduce iron absorption in the body.

Tannins can bind to dietary iron to form a complex, making it less readily available for absorption in the gut.

This complex is excreted from the body, thus reducing the amount of iron in the blood.

In addition, tannins also inhibit the activity of enzymes involved in iron absorption, further reducing the amount of iron that can be absorbed from food.

9. H2 Receptor Blockers

These drugs are used to treat heart burns, and it reduces the amount of acid in the stomach. They also reduce the absorption of iron from food.

Examples of H2 receptor blockers include famotidine, cimetidine, and ranitidine.

10. Alcohol Consumption

Drinking too much alcohol can make it hard for your body to use and get enough iron from food. Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines, leading to inflammation and bleeding.

To prevent iron deficiency, drink alcohol in moderation.

Conclusion: 10 Things That Reduces Iron in Your Blood

Several factors contribute to reduced iron levels in the blood. Drinking too much alcohol, taking drugs like H2 blockers and NSAIDs, and chronic kidney disease are some common things that can lower iron levels in your blood.

Remember to eat a balanced diet that is rich in iron and vitamin C, and take iron supplements if needed to keep your iron levels healthy. You should also avoid iron inhibitors like tea and coffee.

Being aware of the factors that can reduce iron in the body, this will help take steps to maintain optimal health.