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- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Iron-Deficiency Anemia
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Iron-Deficiency Anemia
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What Are the Symptoms of Protein or Iron Deficiency?
The human body breaks down protein, classified as a macronutrient, into the individual amino acids and then uses them to build the thousands of proteins, including hemoglobin, necessary to support bodily functions. Hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells, also requires a molecule of iron, an essential mineral. Failing to consume adequate amounts of protein, such as in situations of malnutrition, or iron results in deficiencies with a variety of symptoms.
Muscle Wasting
The foods you eat provide your body with the proteins it needs to function. The National Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board recommends that adults consume 0.8 g of protein for every 1 kg of body weight, which averages to about 15 percent of their total calories, according to the Harvard School of Public Health 1. Those who follow a strict vegetarian diet or those with limited access to food due to poverty are at an increased risk for protein deficiency. When you do not intake enough dietary protein you body will compensate by breaking down protein found in your muscles, leading to a condition known as muscle wasting or muscle atrophy.
- The foods you eat provide your body with the proteins it needs to function.
- When you do not intake enough dietary protein you body will compensate by breaking down protein found in your muscles, leading to a condition known as muscle wasting or muscle atrophy.
Fatigue
Symptoms of Protein Absorption Disorder
Learn More
The body needs protein and iron to produce hemoglobin – the iron-rich protein responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. In fact approximately two-thirds of all the iron in your body can be found in hemoglobin, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements 2. A deficiency in either iron or protein can lead to a decrease in hemoglobin production, which causes a reduction in the number of functioning red blood cells, a condition known as anemia 3. A decrease in functioning red blood cells reduces the amount of oxygen circulating to the cells throughout the body. This results fatigue, the most common symptoms of anemia. Fatigue is the feeling of extreme tiredness that fails to resolve with rest.
- The body needs protein and iron to produce hemoglobin – the iron-rich protein responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body.
- A decrease in functioning red blood cells reduces the amount of oxygen circulating to the cells throughout the body.
Weakness
Along with fatigue, many with anemia experience shortness of breath and dizziness, especially when standing, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute 3. The combination of symptoms that can occur as a result of a protein deficiency and iron deficiency can leave you feeling weak. To combat these symptoms, eat foods rich in both protein and iron. Animal-based foods, including red meat, poultry and fish, serve as the richest source of complete protein and provide iron in the form most effectively absorbed.
- Along with fatigue, many with anemia experience shortness of breath and dizziness, especially when standing, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute 3.
- The combination of symptoms that can occur as a result of a protein deficiency and iron deficiency can leave you feeling weak.
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References
- National Institutes of Medicine: Food and Nutrition Board: Dietary Reference Intakes
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Iron-Deficiency Anemia
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- Iron deficiency without anaemia is a potential cause of fatigue: meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cross-sectional studies - PubMed
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- Iron-Deficiency Anemia | NHLBI, NIH
- How we diagnose and treat iron deficiency anemia - PubMed
- Correlation of pallor with hemoglobin levels and clinical profile of anemia in primary and middle school children of rural Telangana | Regina | International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
- How we diagnose and treat iron deficiency anemia - PubMed
- Correlation of pallor with hemoglobin levels and clinical profile of anemia in primary and middle school children of rural Telangana | Regina | International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
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- Iron deficiency anaemia - PubMed
- Is There Any Correlation between Migraine Attacks and Iron Deficiency Anemia? A Case-Control Study
- Iron deficiency anaemia - PubMed
- (PDF) Understanding idiopathic intracranial hypertension: Mechanisms, management, and future directions
- Anemia as an Independent Predictor of Adverse Cardiac Outcomes in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
- Iron deficiency anaemia - PubMed
- Iron deficiency anaemia - PubMed
- Iron deficiency in chronic heart failure: an international pooled analysis - PubMed
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- The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review - PubMed
- Iron Plays a Certain Role in Patterned Hair Loss
- Oral manifestations and blood profile in patients with iron deficiency anemia - PubMed
- Effects of Iron Deficiency on the Oropharyngeal Region: Signs, Symptoms, and Biological Changes | SpringerLink
- Restless Leg Syndrome: A Neglected Diagnosis
- The prevalence and impact of restless legs syndrome on patients with iron deficiency anemia - PubMed
- Spoon Nails - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Spoon Nails - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Pica as a manifestation of iron deficiency - PubMed
- Association between iron-deficiency anemia and depression: A web-based Japanese investigation - PubMed
- Iron Deficiency and Risk of Maternal Depression in Pregnancy: An Observational Study - PubMed
- Iron deficiency and susceptibility to infections: evaluation of the clinical evidence - PubMed
- Fatigue and acute/chronic anaemia - PubMed
- Iron deficiency anaemia - PubMed
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Iron Bisglycinate Chelate and Polymaltose Iron for the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Pilot Randomized Trial
- Iron-deficiency anemia | womenshealth.gov
- Iron-Deficiency Anemia | NHLBI, NIH
Writer Bio
Stephanie Chandler is a freelance writer whose master's degree in biomedical science and over 15 years experience in the scientific and pharmaceutical professions provide her with the knowledge to contribute to health topics. Chandler has been writing for corporations and small businesses since 1991. In addition to writing scientific papers and procedures, her articles are published on Overstock.com and other websites.