Diet for low iron and ferritin levels

Iron and iron health: what role does the microelement play in our body?

Iron is part of hemoglobin. In turn, the protein hemoglobin is a building material for erythrocytes - red blood cells that carry oxygen from the lungs to the organs, and on the way back rid them of carbon dioxide. Actually, this process is called cellular respiration. Without iron it is impossible. And since every cell in our body needs oxygen, iron can be called one of the most important elements.

The synthesis of hemoglobin takes 60–70% of all iron entering the body. The remaining 30–40% is deposited in tissues and spent on solving other problems - metabolic processes, regulation of the thyroid gland, maintaining the body's defense system and connective tissue synthesis.

As you can see, the functions of iron are varied and numerous, but oxygen transport is the most important of them.

Iron is poorly absorbed even with ideal health and proper diet - the human body is able to absorb up to 10% of the iron supplied with food.

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint

Therapy includes a set of procedures, medication, and recommendations for lifestyle changes. It is important not to try to treat arthrosis on your own. Often, patients in the first stages of the disease use painkillers and consult a doctor when the joint is already destroyed. The earlier treatment is started, the more effective it is.

Drug treatment

The doctor prescribes medications to relieve inflammation, swelling, reduce pain, activate metabolic processes and tissue regeneration. Medicines are selected individually.

The following medications can be taken:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the form of tablets, ointments, injections. The drugs relieve pain and swelling well, and improve the patient’s well-being.
Glucocorticosteroids in the form of injections directly into the knee joint. Injections are indicated for severe cases of the disease, when the limb is practically immobilized.
Painkiller blockades. They help cope with symptoms and alleviate the course of the disease.
Chondroprotectors. The drugs help restore cartilage tissue and slow down the destruction of the joint.

Conservative treatment

Shock wave therapy

The method is non-invasive, helps remove salt deposits and improve the trophism of connective tissue. Physiotherapy improves blood circulation and has a beneficial effect on the elasticity of ligaments. Shock wave therapy is carried out in courses of 4-10 procedures.

Plasmolifting (PRP therapy)

The patient's own platelet-rich plasma is injected into the joint. A course of plasma lifting accelerates tissue regeneration.

Phonophoresis

The method combines the effects of ultrasound and medicinal ointments. Physiotherapy products, as a rule, have a complex composition and are prepared in a pharmacy according to a prescription. Ultrasound increases the penetrating ability of the active substance.

Massage

The procedure is contraindicated in the acute stage of arthrosis. When the inflammation is relieved and the pain is reduced, you can begin a massage course. Lymphatic drainage technique helps prevent the accumulation of synovial fluid. Massage also improves blood circulation in the knee and relieves muscle spasm. The procedure is most effective after performing special exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint.

Taking a bath

You can conduct the course at home as prescribed by a doctor or as part of a spa treatment. For arthrosis, radon, turpentine, and hydrogen sulfide baths are indicated. The procedures have a beneficial effect not only on the knees, but also on the hip and ankle joints.

Hirudotherapy

Medical leeches are placed around the deformed joint. The saliva of these creatures contains active substances that promote the restoration of cartilage. Hirudotherapy is usually prescribed for grade 1 and 2 arthrosis to relieve swelling and reduce pain.

Physiotherapy

Gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint is an essential part of complex treatment. Special exercises help maintain muscle tone in the sore limb and prevent congestion. They begin to do gymnastics in the morning, without getting out of bed. Then during the day, perform another 3-4 sets of exercises for several minutes. It is useful to supplement therapeutic exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint with swimming.

Surgery

Surgery is indicated for grade 2 and 3 arthrosis:

Puncture. Using a syringe, the accumulated fluid is pumped out of the joint cavity. Internal pressure decreases, swelling and inflammation decrease, and mobility improves. The procedure is carried out on an outpatient basis, at the surgeon's appointment.
Arthroscopy. The method is used for rehabilitation of the knee joint. Arthroscopy is performed through small punctures, so the operation is quite easy to tolerate and the recovery period is short.
Corrective osteotomy. A classic method of treating deforming arthrosis, which consists of correcting the deformed anatomical axis of the lower limb, followed by fixation of the wedge-shaped resection of the bone with a titanium plate. After osteotomy, the patient requires rehabilitation for several months.
Endoprosthetics. Installation of an artificial joint is performed in extreme cases of deforming arthrosis of the knee joint and allows the knee to return to its previous range of motion without pain. After total endoprosthetics, the patient requires long-term (about 2-3 months) rehabilitation.

Daily iron requirement in healthy people

Iron requirements vary depending on age and health status.

Infants under six months of age have little need for iron, since they are born with a fair supply of this element. Newborns only need 0.27 mg of iron per day. Children from six months to a year require 11 mg, children from 1-3 years old - 7 mg, children aged 4-8 years - 10 mg, 9-13 years old - 8 mg.

Adolescents 14–18 years old should receive 11–15 mg daily, with girls having a higher need for iron due to monthly blood loss during menstruation.

Men require about 10 mg of iron per day, women - 15-18 mg. During pregnancy, the norm increases to 25–35 mg, and during breastfeeding - to 25 mg.

Symptoms.

Depending on the degree of development, symptoms and their severity vary. The following stages of the disease are distinguished:

First stage of coxarthrosis

Patients may complain of periodic pain in the hip joint, usually occurring after physical activity or long walking. Already at this stage, X-ray examination reveals a decrease in the thickness of the articular cartilage and compaction of bone tissue. An ultrasound examination may show moderate thickening of the synovial membrane, signs of synovitis, and deformation of the subchondral plate of the femur. It is important to begin conservative treatment and prevent further progression of the pathology. It is necessary to establish the cause of coxarthrosis and, if possible, eliminate it. Drug therapy with anti-inflammatory drugs orally and intra-articularly, injections of hyaluronic acid, and PRP therapy are also carried out. The goal of rehabilitation measures is to unload the joint.

Second

Pain syndrome occurs during walking and exertion and persists for some time after it; restrictions on mobility in the joint (abduction, rotation) are observed. X-ray shows uneven narrowing of the joint space, the appearance of osteophytes, ultrasound diagnoses synovitis, destructive changes in the femoral head. In addition to therapy aimed at reducing synovitis and alleviating the condition in the form of oral and injectable medications, arthroscopic surgery may be recommended to restore motor function and eliminate intra-articular pathological formations (osteophytes, altered synovium, cartilage fragments).

Third stage

The pain is constant. In addition to the hip joint area, it radiates to the lumbosacral region, leg, and knee. Lameness appears. Motor activity is severely limited. X-rays can reveal a narrowing of the joint space, incongruity of the articular surfaces, changes in the head of the hip bone, subchondral cysts, and exophytes. Surgical intervention is required - endoprosthetics. If surgery is delayed or impossible, treatment is prescribed to alleviate the condition.

Foods High in Iron

Our body cannot synthesize iron; it only processes this element, extracting it from worn-out red blood cells. “Fresh” iron comes from food. However, even if you eat foods containing iron, this does not mean that you have enough. The thing is that there are two types of iron.

Iron can be heme (divalent) or non-heme (trivalent). The first is found in products of animal origin and is easily digestible (about 25%), the second is part of plants and is absorbed by only 8–10% maximum[3]. This is why vegans and vegetarians often lack this element, even if they eat foods rich in iron.

And yet, it is the right diet that is considered the main way to prevent iron deficiency. Iron is found in significant doses in the following foods:

Animal products:

pork liver - 29 mg (hereinafter the figure is given per 100 g of product);
hard cheese - 19 mg;
beef liver - 9 mg;
egg yolk - 6 mg;
beef tongue - 5 mg;
turkey - 4 mg;
beef - 2.8 mg;
chicken - 2.5 mg;
mackerel - 2.5 mg;
pork - 1.6 mg;
herring - 1 mg;
cottage cheese - 0.4 mg.

Products of plant origin:

beans - 72 mg;
hazelnuts - 51 mg;
oat flakes - 45 mg;
fresh forest mushrooms - 35 mg;
millet - 31 mg;
peas - 20 mg;
seaweed - 16 mg;
prunes - 13 mg;
dried apricots - 12 mg;
buckwheat - 8 mg;
tofu - 5.5 mg;
peaches - 4.1 mg.

Although the iron content of some plant foods is high, the non-heme form of iron is poorly absorbed. Therefore, it is important for those following a plant-based diet to check their iron levels and, if necessary, take dietary supplements that contain this element.

Our body perceives iron best from meat (on average 20% is absorbed), a little worse from fish and seafood (about 11%), legumes (7%) and nuts (6%). Only 1-3% of iron is absorbed from fruits, vegetables and cereals.

To improve the absorption of iron, it is also important to receive the right amounts of vitamins and minerals, which play the role of catalysts and help this element to be absorbed. These include:

Vitamin C. Iron is almost not absorbed without ascorbic acid, so the menu must include foods rich in ascorbic acid - berries, oranges and grapefruits, cabbage, red peppers.
Vitamin A. If a person lacks vitamin A, then iron will not be absorbed and used to “build” new red blood cells. Many orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin A - it is this substance that gives them their cheerful colors. To replenish vitamin A reserves, you need to eat more dried apricots, carrots and pumpkin. However, it's important to know that fats are needed for this vitamin to be absorbed, so don't ignore sources of retinol like butter, fish oil, and egg yolks.
Folic acid (vitamin B9). It helps absorb iron and normalizes the digestive tract, and healthy digestion is extremely important for the absorption of this element. Sources of folic acid are eggs, soybeans, yeast, green leafy vegetables, dill, eggplant, tomatoes, chicken liver.
Copper. Sources of copper are offal, fish and seafood (shrimp, oysters, etc.), cabbage.

Features of the course of the disease and distinctive features.

In terms of frequency of occurrence, coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) ranks second among all degenerative joint diseases. It is difficult, with the patient losing the ability to work and becoming disabled in the absence of timely treatment. Like any other, it has a chronic course, with gradual progression. At the same time, specialists are most often turned to when conservative therapy alone may be ineffective. That is why knowledge of this problem and the use of prevention opportunities is important to prevent an increase in the number of patients with this pathology.

Rules for rational nutrition

The more variety of products you use in cooking, the less likely you are to become deficient in iron or any other trace element or vitamin. However, the diet for iron deficiency also contains some restrictions. The fact is that some elements can impair the absorption of this mineral. This does not mean that you need to completely abandon them. But it is better not to eat foods containing iron at the same time as:

tea and coffee, red wine. These drinks reduce the body's ability to absorb iron by about a third, by the way, like chocolate;
milk and dairy products. They are rich in calcium, and calcium is not friendly with iron;
sesame seeds and seeds, bran, sprouted wheat, nuts. All of these foods are valuable sources of magnesium. But magnesium, like calcium, interferes with the absorption of iron.

If your goal is to increase your blood iron levels, eat all of the above foods only 3-4 hours after foods high in iron. But you should avoid fatty and fried foods, ready-made oil sauces such as mayonnaise, hot spices and marinades - all this irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and interferes with the absorption of iron.

Reviews about the treatment of coxarthrosis with leeches

The overwhelming majority of patients who have completed the full course, in their reviews of hirudotherapy for coxarthrosis, confirm the high effectiveness of this method of treatment. The patient's condition improves significantly after 3-4 sessions. The maximum positive effect of using medicinal leeches is achieved two weeks after completing the full course of hirudotherapy and lasts at least six months.

Leech bite

A significant disadvantage of the procedure is its relative pain and discomfort during the session. After the worms are removed from the skin, the blood does not clot for quite a long time and continues to flow out of the wound in a thin stream, so the application site is covered with a sterile swab and secured with a band-aid.

However, all these disadvantages are fully compensated by the excellent results and rapid improvement in the patients’ condition.

A course of treatment is prescribed by a specialist, based on the main indications for hirudotherapy for coxarthrosis. Doctors strongly do not recommend self-medication and applying leeches to the affected area yourself at home. There are a number of rules and principles for using the hirudotherapy method, therefore only a qualified specialist should engage in this process.

An example of a daily diet: today is my “iron” day...

How to create a menu that will help cope with iron deficiency? It's actually not difficult. Foods rich in iron and the vitamins necessary for its absorption are neither rare nor particularly expensive. Here is an example of an “iron” diet for one day:

Breakfast: 2 soft-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, fresh cabbage salad, a slice of black bread with butter and hard cheese, orange juice:

Second breakfast: curd mousse with dried apricots and prunes or oatmeal with dried fruits, rosehip infusion. :

Lunch: chicken soup or borscht with mushrooms, stewed liver with onions or baked turkey with vegetable stew, fruit salad and dried fruit compote. :

Dinner: steamed beef patties or mackerel baked in foil, pea puree or stewed carrots, soothing herbal tea:

This menu is not only rich in iron, vitamins C, B9 and copper, it also fits the definition of dietary, contains a sufficient amount of fiber and will not harm your figure.

Iron intake standards for patients with anemia

Sometimes tests reveal not just a lack of iron, but a more serious situation - iron deficiency anemia. Typically, this condition develops against the background of gastrointestinal diseases, tumor processes, helminthic infestations, and constant bleeding. It is often diagnosed in people who have experienced significant blood loss during injury or surgery.

Iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed if the hemoglobin level drops to 100–70 g/l and serum ferritin drops to 15 ng/ml.

If iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed, you cannot prescribe treatment yourself. The doctor selects the therapy. Perhaps he will prescribe multivitamin complexes and dietary supplements with iron, and in the most severe cases, he may even prescribe iron supplements - quite strong drugs with numerous side effects. You can take such medications only under the supervision of your doctor.