The latest findings of the National Nutrition Survey rang alarm bells for parents and health providers all across the country. Director Mario V. Capanzana, Ph.D., of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) revealed that seven out of 10 Filipinos across the population group lack iron in their diet. The research has found that 55.7 percent or 56 in every 100 infants from six months to less than one year have been found to have the highest prevalence of iron deficiency anemia. Likewise alarming is the fact that 43 in every 100 or 42.5% of pregnant women were also found to be anemic. Anemia occurs when the body is not able to produce enough healthy red blood cells because of a lack of iron. 

Iron’s importance

Iron is needed by the body because it is required for growth, reproduction, wound healing, and immune functions. It helps red blood cells to carry the oxygen it needs for energy.   And experts have also found that it protects the body from harmful microbes and free radicals. Children who are iron deficient are described by Marina Vargas, senior science researcher at the FNRI to be “matamlay, masakitin at maputla.”

Iron deficiency anemia in the first two years of life has been found to significantly impair growth and stunt mental development. Iron deficiency in the early stages of life has been found to cause abnormal protein synthesis in the brain, affecting the child’s memory processing. Anemic infants also fail in language capabilities and body balance coordinating skills.     

Pregnant mothers who lack iron in their diet are at risk of giving birth to babies with neural tube defects, and are likely to give birth to infants with a low birth weight. 

Vargas says that children who get enough iron in their diet are “alert, hindi sakitin, and have good appetites. Iron indeed has a great effect on quality of life.”   

Be an Iron Chef!

The findings of the NNS also states that the typical Filipino diet still consists of rice, fish, and vegetables, which would make it harder to include iron, because the highest food sources of this nutrient are animal innards such as the liver, heart, and kidneys.  Vargas explains that there are also plant sources, such as green leafy veggies, but animal meat has been found to have a better quality of the nutrient. Iron from animal proteins has been found to be better absorbed by the body than those from plant foods. Because it is quit tricky to get kids to eat liver, Vargas recommends that parents add more protein sources such as lean pork or beef to the diet. Other sources of iron are fortified cereals, enriched bread, egg yolks, tuna and chicken.

Vargas adds that Vitamin C consumption also has an effect on how iron is absorbed in the body, so she advises a higher intake of C-rich foods such as mangoes, papayas, pineapples, watermelon, melons, and citrus fruits.    

Vitamin supplements with iron are also available, but as with Vargas’ own experience with her 7-year-old daughter, they are not readily accepted by small children because the iron affects the taste of the product.  

The FNRI is also looking into the iron fortification of rice, with a pilot project recently conducted in Orion, Bataan. They discovered that among elementary students, who were the recipients of the program, the 100% iron deficiency rate decreased to only 33%.  This is why they are advocating the availability of the rice product in the market. Vargas also shares that there is a mandate in effect in Davao, where all food establishments are required to serve iron-fortified rice, which is why there is a low prevalence of anemia in the region (11.8% in children 6 to 12 years old, compared to 19.1 in the National Capital Region).

Check them out!

Children who suffer from iron deficiency anemia exhibit these signs and symptoms:

• Mild paleness of the skin
• Paleness in lips, the lining of the eyelids, and the nail beds
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Weight loss
• Rapid heartbeat
• Poor physical performance

For severe iron deficiency, the symptoms include brittle nails and a smooth tongue. Patients with this condition have also been found to crave unlikely foods such as ice cubes. 

Blast worms too

Marina Vargas of the FNRI-DOST wants mom to consider regular deworming in the battle against anemia too. Parasites such as hookworms get small amounts of blood from their hosts.