What is Iron Deficiency?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world.1,4<\/a><\/sup> Symptoms of low iron levels can include tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, and headaches.1,2<\/a><\/sup> Iron deficiency can also lead to anaemia, a condition marked by too few or abnormal red blood cells.2<\/a><\/sup> Impaired cognitive development in children and poor pregnancy outcomes are some of the conditions that have been associated with iron deficiency.1,2<\/a><\/sup> The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) years 9-11 concluded that 49% of girls aged 11-18 and 25% of women aged 19-64 had iron intakes below the lower reference nutrient intake.5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure optimal iron intake by eating foods that are high in iron, such as animal proteins, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables. The iron from plant-based foods is not as well absorbed in the body as iron from animal proteins. When consuming iron-rich plant foods, it is beneficial to also consume foods with vitamin C<\/a> or citric acid, such as 100% grapefruit juice or fresh grapefruit, which may help increase absorption of iron into your body.1-3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n One half of a fresh grapefruit (120g) or 150ml of 100% grapefruit juice are excellent sources of vitamin C.* Citric acid also occurs naturally in fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice and contributes to its sweet-tangy taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.1,3<\/a><\/sup> Iron deficiency is more common in infants, children, adolescents, and women who are pregnant or of reproductive age.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Iron is involved in energy production and oxygen transport as it is part of the electron transport chain, haemoglobin in the blood, and myoglobin in the muscles.1,2<\/a><\/sup> Iron is also part of many enzymes including glutathione peroxidase and catalase1<\/a><\/sup> that behave as antioxidants in the body. Symptoms of low iron status include tiredness, shortness of breath, and headaches, and severe iron deficiency can lead to anaemia and complications with pregnancy.1,2<\/a><\/sup> In infants and young children, iron deficiency is associated with impaired cognitive development and behaviour, decreased infection resistance, and temperature dysregulation.1<\/a><\/sup> Vitamin C and citric acid and other organic compounds found in citrus may enhance the absorption of plant-based iron.1-3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n *Reference Intake: Based on a 2000 calorie diet. Information is not intended for labelling food in packaged form. Nutrient values may vary based on variety of citrus fruit and place of origin. Check with your citrus vendor for additional information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why is Iron Important? Iron plays a vital role in energy production within our bodies and helps transport oxygen from the lungs throughout the rest of the body. Iron is also a part of many enzymes in the body including those that provide antioxidant protection.1 What is Iron Deficiency? Iron deficiency is the most common […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"fdoc_resource_category_id":"","fdoc_news_category_id":"","fdoc_growers_feed_title":""},"nutrition-categories":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nutrition-pages\/776"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nutrition-pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fdoc-nutrition-page"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nutrition-pages\/776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":816,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nutrition-pages\/776\/revisions\/816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"fdoc-nutrition-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.uk\/grapefruit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nutrition-categories?post=776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Vitamin C and Citric Acid Aid in Iron Absorption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. Consuming fresh grapefruit or 100% grapefruit juice along with iron-rich plant-based foods may help enhance your body\u2019s absorption of iron.<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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