Poop problems? Believe it or not, the culprit behind your constipation can hide in your daily multivitamin or your food supplement.
Get your iron this way can support you in the bathroom. And although iron is a super important mineral for our body (we need it to make hemoglobin, a protein of red blood cells that helps blood transport oxygen throughout the body), some of us can take too much.
Here is what you need to know about iron supplements and constipation.
So why does iron make you constipated?
Constipation is a common side effect of iron supplements, according to the American National Library of Medicine, because iron can be difficult on the digestive tract. These supplements can cause diarrhea to certain people, as well as nausea and vomiting.
Studies have shown that taking an iron supplement affects our intestine microbiota Plos a.
The researchers behind this study also hypothesized that iron causes oxidative bowls to the intestines, resulting in inflammation and subsequent gastrointestinal discomfort.
Do you even need to take an iron supplement?
Most Americans get enough iron by eating a variety of food, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Indeed, iron is naturally found in meat, beans, moat vegetables and nuts as well as cereals and fortified breads, explains Lee Ann Chen, MD, gastroenterologist at Nyu Langone Health.
That said, how many iron your body needs strongly depends on your age, gender and health, says Dr. Chen, who adds that adults should not take more than 45 milligrams of elementary iron per day.
Indeed, the recommended food allowance (GDR) for iron is only 18 milligrams for people assigned to a woman at birth between 19 and 50 years and only 8 milligrams for people assigned by men at birth, by NIH.
If you are a vegetarian, the GDR is almost twice higher, because the iron of plants based on plants (called non -hematic iron) is less bioavailable – which means less easily absorbed – than the type found in meat (hemical iron).
Although most people get enough iron from their diet, some groups of people may find it difficult to obtain adequate quantities.
“Anyone who suffers from known iron anemia, people with heavy periods and pregnant people need more iron,” said Dr. Chen. Frequent blood donors and people with cancer, gastrointestinal disorders or heart failure are also more likely to have iron deficiency by NIH.
For these people, taking a daily iron supplement may be necessary. However, the NIH stresses that iron supplements generally contain much more than you need, many of which provide up to 65 milligrams or 360% of your daily value.
If you have a health problem or if you are concerned about your iron levels, talk to your doctor if an iron supplement is suitable and what type of supplement you need to take.
How can you relieve constipation when taking an iron supplement?
If you need to take a daily multivitamin or a food supplement containing iron, there are a few things you can do to fight the bite.
First of all, try simple standard constipation treatments such as the increase in your water and fiber consumption and to be more active, suggests Dr. Chen. Exercise is a proven and natural means of stimulating a saddle. Some yoga poses – which involve torsion and forward turns – are particularly useful for promoting poop.
“If necessary, short -term use of osmotic laxatives (for example Miralax) can also be effective in softening the stool,” said Dr. Chen.
But if these methods are not enough to do things, you can also try to change the way you get your iron. For example, some people are infused. Taking your intravenous iron does not cause constipation, but this procedure has its own potential side effects, explains Dr. Chen, who recommends less invasive approaches.
“Some people find it better to take their iron every two days or move to a liquid formulation so that they can more easily [adjust] The dose to the one that is more tolerable, “she said.
You can also consider using “slow” or “entericed” iron supplements to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, but keep in mind that these forms decrease the amount of iron that your body absorbs, explains Dr. Chen, who underlines that you should not make this kind of changes with the consent of your doctor.
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