How quickly is iron absorbed by the body in iron deficiency?
We need to get enough iron to feel well. When a lot of blood has been lost or the intestine is unable to absorb iron from food for various reasons, this can lead to iron deficiency and it is then important to treat the condition correctly.
You should of course review your diet and make sure that you eat foods rich in iron. Supplements can also be used to restore and replenish the body's iron stores more quickly. A simple home test provides a fast and reliable answer.
More iron in cases of iron deficiency
When iron deficiency is confirmed, it may be because too much blood has been lost in a short period or because the intestine cannot absorb the iron you consume. It is important to distinguish between two different types of iron: heme iron and non-heme iron. The liver is the organ that stores a large proportion of the body's iron.
Heme iron is found in animal products, and the intestine can absorb 25% of this iron. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based products, and the intestine absorbs 5-10% of it. When you need to increase the amount of iron in the body quickly, you should, if possible, choose to eat more meat while also taking supplements and increasing your intake of plant-based foods rich in iron.
If you want to increase the intestine's ability to process iron and convert it into the form the body needs, you should also combine iron intake with vitamin C. A glass of juice directly after eating meat is therefore a very good idea. In fact, this can help the intestine absorb up to 4 times more iron than otherwise, allowing you to recover much faster.
Whether it will take days or weeks to consume the amount of iron needed for iron-deficiency symptoms to disappear is not easy to say. It depends largely on how severe the iron deficiency is and how quickly you change your diet. If no improvement occurs despite using iron supplements and eating more animal products, it is important to get professional help to investigate whether there are underlying health problems causing the deficiency and the body's inability to recover.
