Stories Of Strength: Why women need more iron than men

Ladies, when your mom tells you to eat right, listen to her. She does know better than you. Women in general tend to keep their health aside in the process of looking after other people. They will attend to other family members' needs first before taking care of themselves. What most of us don't realise is that we keep pushing our health aside which has consequences, if not now then later.

Apart from other nutrients that women need, iron is one of the most important one. Here's why:

Menstruation

This is a known fact that when women menstruate they lose umpteen amount of iron from their body. It is absolutely necessary that one revitalise their body with a diet that has more iron in it. Dark leafy greens like spinach, beans, whole grains, dark chocolates are some of the foods that are high in iron.

Also Read: Fitness Mantras Every Woman Should Follow

Enough haemoglobin

Women tend to not have high haemoglobin because of less iron in our bodies. A proper haemoglobin is significant for any individual as it helps in transporting oxygen. Iron is the one nutrient that helps the body make haemoglobin. See the connection? Lean meat, peas, seafood, dried fruits and green vegetables, all help in increasing your haemoglobin level. Women often suffer from low haemoglobin, and not just in rural areas, but in the cities as well.

During pregnancy

Iron is THE essential nutrient that helps in forming placenta during your pregnancy. Being an essential part of the womb, it cannot be compromised upon. The child that is growing inside of you needs iron not just for developing and growing in the womb, but also until six months after birth. Babies take the nutrients from their mother's food and hence eating proper, healthy, nutritious food is of utmost importance.

Remember, if you aren't healthy, how will you take care of others around you? Next time you see your mother running around the kitchen feeding everyone, make sure you let her know the importance of healthy diet intake for herself also.