{"id":5353,"date":"2021-03-08T16:48:10","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T16:48:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/?p=5353"},"modified":"2023-03-17T15:05:31","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:05:31","slug":"international-womens-day-nutrition-the-life-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/international-womens-day-nutrition-the-life-cycle","title":{"rendered":"International Women’s Day: nutrition & the life cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women\u2019s nutrition needs across our life cycle<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ladies, have you ever considered your own unique nutritional needs for the amazing yet demanding changes your body goes through in our life cycle? They\u2019re uniquely dynamic and change over time to support the hormonal and life changes you go through.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how you can support your body and health over time by optimising your nutrition, from teenage years, adulthood, motherhood (if you’re going down that route) and menopause – as well as giving yourself a little protection against some of the troublesome side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

And this one’s not just for the ladies, either! Gentlemen, have a read too and give the women in your lives the support they deserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Adolescence: Puberty and beyond<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Iron<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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During puberty and the start of your periods, your iron needs increase by a whopping 70% to enable growth and to replace iron lost during menstruation. The increased need for iron continues throughout adult life until menopause (when periods stop).<\/span><\/p>\n

As adults, women require 70% more iron than men, yet in the UK, half of girls aged 11-18 years aren\u2019t getting enough. This can carry on into adulthood, with a quarter of adult women not eating enough iron, leaving women at risk of iron deficiency anaemia, which affects around 15% of women in developed countries. The signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia include fatigue, shortness of breath and noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prescription iron supplements are often used to treat iron deficiency anaemia (these tend to be stronger than the publicly available supplements), and can sometimes come with side effects impacting your gut – including constipation, diarrhoea, tummy pain and dark coloured poop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Much of the iron in supplements is unabsorbed in the small intestine (which is normally where most of our food gets digested), so instead, it makes its way down to our large intestine, where we house most of our gut microbes. It\u2019s here it comes into contact with our GM and can result in gut symptoms, especially if taken without food.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Full disclosure<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Studies looking at the effect of iron supplements on your GM are limited and show mixed results, so it\u2019s too uncertain to draw any firm conclusions yet. We\u2019ll be sure to keep you updated when we do.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a bit of consideration, it is possible to fulfil most people\u2019s iron needs with diet, and there are a number of types worth knowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to note there are two types of iron:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Haem iron (from animal products)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Non-haem iron (from plant sources)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Non-haem iron from plants isn\u2019t absorbed as efficiently by the body, so it can be a little trickier to meet your iron needs with a completely plant-based diet – that\u2019s where a bit of planning goes a long way.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Top tips for optimising your iron intake<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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