Many Chronically Tired Teenage Girls May Not Know They Have an Iron Deficiency

Many adolescent girls who suffer a lack of energy or memory or verbal learning difficulties may have an undetected iron deficiency in their daily diet. Typically a doctor will perform a hemoglobin test for iron-deficiency anemia. This test will sometimes identify a girl as having a normal level of iron, when in fact she is deficient. A Johns Hopkins Medical Center study found that a "serum-ferritin" test, which must be specially requested from a doctor, is necessary to more accurately diagnose iron deficiency. The Johns Hopkins study treated half of the iron-deficient girls with iron supplements, while using placebos to treat the other half of the group. Those treated with iron supplements received an immediate improvement in their iron level, which resulted in higher study test scores in verbal learning and memory. Why are a quarter of all high school-age girls subject to iron deficiency? One reason is that their bodies require a large level of iron to create additional tissue and blood during a period of rapid growth. A second factor is the start of their menstrual period, which requires additional iron. Third, many high school-age girls are either reducing their food intake, or not eating red meat, mistakenly considered high in fat content. Actually, red meat is the best dietary source for iron. There are numerous ways to increase iron by changing one's diet, as follows:

Include a small portion of lean meat, poultry, or fish in one's daily diet.

This will provide a source of heme iron, derived from animal foods, which is more readily absorbed than iron in plant foods. Heme iron also increases the amount of iron absorbed from plant foods, such as beans, grains, and vegetables.

Eat foods high in Vitamin C, combined with plant foods, to increase iron absorption.

Therefore for breakfast, consider having a glass of orange or grapefruit juice with a breakfast of iron-fortified cereal (such as Total, Raisin Bran, or Cream-of-Wheat), and skim milk. Cranberry juice cocktail is also high in Vitamin C. At lunch and dinner, eat fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C. Choose fruit such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, kiwi, mangoes, strawberries, and blueberries. Vegetable sources of Vitamin C include broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, sweet green and red peppers, tomatoes and tomato products, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, turnips, mustard greens, and black beans.

Limit your consumption of coffee or tea at meals, since these beverages decrease iron absorption.

It is best to drink tea or coffee more than one hour before a meal and two hours afterwards.

Take a vitamin supplement each day.

Choose one which provides 100% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals. The less-expensive generic brands are acceptable. These dietary suggestions will help raise a low level of iron to a normal amount, which will increase energy and improve memory and verbal learning abilities. The Johns Hopkins study reveals the need for further research on the impact of iron deficiency on brain function and mood swings, in addition to its affect on physical energy and learning.