You could already know that vitamin C, a nutrient present in a lot of fruit and greens, can assist your physique soak up iron.
That’s why the NHS College Hospital Southampton recommends taking any iron dietary supplements you want alongside one thing like a glass of orange juice.
However in a current video shared on TikTok, physician Karan Rajan revealed there’s one other mineral “most individuals… together with a couple of docs” don’t know can have an effect on how we soak up iron.
“There may be one crucial factor you’ll want to know for those who’re prescribed iron dietary supplements which may affect your remedy and the way you soak up it,” he started the clip.
Which is?
The physician defined: “When you eat an excessive amount of calcium, both in complement type or in meals, this could really affect iron absorption.”
When you’re already coping with low iron shops, he added, “this might result in a deficiency”.
“Calcium competes with iron for absorption in your intestines,” Dr Rajan went on to say.
It additionally has an affect on how a lot non-heme (plant-based) iron your physique absorbs, he claimed.
“Calcium salts, like calcium carbonate, which is usually present in heartburn and indigestion cures, are alkaline, which may hinder iron absorption.”
When you’ve got been prescribed each iron and calcium dietary supplements, Dr Rajan mentioned, preserve taking each, simply at totally different occasions of the day, “no less than a couple of hours aside”.
In the meantime, “for those who’re consuming milk, consuming yoghurt, or consuming any calcium-rich meals, think about delaying your iron complement”.
How do I do know if calcium is affecting my iron absorption?
“When you’re being handled for iron deficiency anaemia, it’s value flagging to your physician, in the event that they’re not already doing it, that you just need to often test your calcium ranges,” the physician advised.
Calcium is extremely necessary for sustaining our bone, and even coronary heart, well being so that you shouldn’t neglect it simply since you’re on an iron complement ― take each, however ideally some time aside.
Per healthcare suppliers and researchers at The Mayo Clinic, calcium-rich meals embrace:
- Dairy merchandise, resembling cheese, milk and yogurt
- Darkish inexperienced leafy greens, resembling broccoli and kale
- Fish with edible tender bones, resembling sardines and canned salmon
- Calcium-fortified meals and drinks, resembling soy merchandise, cereal and fruit juices, and milk substitutes.
