It is said that Iron deficiency - Anaemia, affects about twenty percent of the world’s population. It is the most common type of anaemia caused by inadequate dietary intake or absorption of iron. The deficiency is highly increased by pregnancy, bottle-fed infants, heavy menses and those who are on strict vegetarian diet.

I have just found out that there are two natural types of iron :

• Haeme iron, found in animal foods
• Non-haeme iron, found in plant foods

Here are the three natural ways to prevent iron deficiency :

1. Cooking your foods in cast-iron cookwares

Cooking foods in cast-iron cookwares could add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body. Research have proved that acidic foods, which have higher moisture content like spaghetti or apple sauce, absorb the most iron. Foods that cooked longer in cast-iron cookwares also absorbed more iron than food being heated up quickly due to the cast-iron cookwares contact.

2. Eating foods that are naturally iron rich

It is suggested to eat animal based products because they contain haeme iron . To improve the absorption rate, it is best to cook haeme iron foods like meat, fish or poultry with non-haeme iron foods that are plant based like green-leafy vegetables or beans. Also, foods that are rich in Vitamin C would help to increase iron absorption.

3. Avoiding whole cow’s milk during infant’s first 12 months

Even though, cow’s milk contains as much iron per litre as breast milk, only a small portion of it is actually absorbed by the body. Hence, breast milk is still one of the best sources of iron for the infant in the first 6 months, besides the other nutrients and benefits found. After that, if breast feeding cannot be continued, then iron-fortified milk formulas should be given instead of whole cow’s milk.

Precautions: Don’t take iron supplements unless advised by your physician, because the need for iron supplements varies between individuals. Excess iron in a person’s body can cause damage to the liver, pancreas, pituitary, joints and heart. As a result of this damage, one can develop cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, impotence, arthritis and heart failure.