How Iron Is A Secret Skin Fuel

Iron plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin and works secretly at it. Unlike other vitamins, and minerals, most people don't view iron as a connection to their skin but it has a crucial role to play. When a body has adequate iron levels, it can keep up the appropriate levels of haemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, including the skin.

How Does Iron Benefit The Skin?

Adequate oxygen supply is essential for skin health as it promotes cell regeneration and collagen production, which are vital for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness.

Collagen? Really?

Iron also plays a role in the production of collagen and elastin, two proteins that give the skin its structure and elasticity. Collagen production decreases with age, and this decrease can be exacerbated by iron deficiency. Therefore, maintaining adequate iron levels can help to slow the skin ageing process.

"A deficiency of iron can have adverse effects because it's central to carrying oxygen to most of our body," say nutritionists. 

Iron deficiency can also lead to pale skin and dark circles under the eyes, symptoms often associated with anaemia. This is because iron deficiency reduces the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the skin, leading to a pale complexion. Therefore, maintaining adequate iron levels can contribute to a healthier and more vibrant skin appearance.

Myoglobin connect

Adequate iron helps in the formation of myoglobin, a protein found in muscle cells, including those of the skin. Myoglobin facilitates the transfer of oxygen from red blood cells to muscle cells, ensuring that skin cells receive the oxygen they need for optimal function. This process can contribute to improved skin texture. 

Understanding the problem

Anaemia rates among Indian women and children have remained at 20% and 15% more than the world average, respectively. India with its largest population contributes significantly to the global burden of anaemia. Most of the anaemic population is young and women are likely to be worse hit than men. 

Why food alone is not the answer

Iron from the diet is either derived from plant-based foods in the form of non-heme iron or from animals in the form of heme iron. Heme iron has a high absorption of up to 35%, however, non-heme iron from a predominantly vegetarian mixed cereal-pulse diet is poorly absorbed (up to 8.7%) due to certain inhibitors present in the diet. 

The NSS 68th Round (2011-12) reported that 99% of the iron in the Indian diet was contributed from plant sources and only 1% from animal sources.  

Plant-based supplements?

You can either look for supplements and nutrition that are boosted with iron or opt for gummies made from fruit pectin for the majority of your daily needs.

"I picked these gummies formulated in New Zealand, and made from pectin because it promised me clinically proven ingredients," Radhika Shaw, based in Bangalore. Shaw works in a multinational and has erratic hours as the company's business is in many markets. "These iron gummies have good absorption and I saw they had elements backed by trials." 

Women are also opting for proteins that contain iron and Vitamin D so they can pack in more than one thing in their diet. The combination of protein and iron can help vitalise skin, improve metabolism and boost energy from within.