Iron deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies in the world. While eating iron-rich foods is the best way to tackle an iron deficiency, some users on social media say there's an even easier way to get more iron in your diet. According to some influencers, adding a cast iron 'fish' to your meals while cooking is an easy way to boost the iron content in the foods you eat – and remedy low iron levels.
While some evidence suggests that this technique can work, boosting the body's iron levels is far more complicated than it might seem on the surface. Iron deficiency affects millions of people globally. It's estimated around 8 percent of women (and 23 percent of pregnant women) plus 3 percent of men in the UK are iron deficient .
Iron is a crucial micronutrient, playing many important roles in the body. It aids metabolism, helps form red blood cells, brings oxygen to our muscles and assists in building DNA. Adults have around 4g of iron in their body.
But poor diet and a variety of health conditions can lead to an iron shortage . For example, the body needs iron during pregnancy so the baby can grow. Heavy menstruation can cause iron loss.
Digestive conditions, such as stomach ulcers and coeliac disease , can also result in iron deficiency. Certain medications (such as some painkillers and aspirin) can also create iron deficiency as a side-effect – either by causing bleeding or reducing the body's ability to absorb iron. Iron deficiency can cause a range o.