High iron levels may up gestational diabetes risk

Higher levels of iron in pregnant women may lead to an increased risk of gestational diabetes, a new study has warned.

The study by researchers from US National Institutes of Health (NIH) also raises questions about routine recommendations on iron supplementation in pregnancy.

Iron is regarded as a double-edged sword in living systems, as both its deficiency and excess can be harmful, researchers said.

While many guidelines recommend screening and treatment only as necessary for iron deficiency, several other groups such as the  World Health Organisation (WHO recommend routine iron supplementation among pregnant women.

Emerging evidence has pointed to a possible link between higher iron stores and abnormal blood sugar control (including type 2 diabetes) in non-pregnant individuals.

Researchers did a case-control study of 107 gestational diabetes (GDM) cases and 214 controls (matched on age, gestational week of blood collection and race/ethnicity).

They looked at several biomarkers of iron status, including plasma hepcidin, ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and these data were used to calculate the sTfR:ferritin ratio, which captures both cellular iron need and availability of body iron stores.

These markers were longitudinally measured or calculated four times during pregnancy, twice before GDM diagnosis (gestational weeks 10-14 and 15-26), and twice afterwards (gestational weeks 23-31 and 33-39).

GDM diagnosis was ascertained from medical records based on oral glucose tolerance test results.

Statistical modelling was then used to calculate the odds ratio of GDM with iron status, accounting for factors such as demographics, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and other major risk factors.

Researchers found that for both hepcidin and ferritin, in the second trimester of pregnancy, those in the top 25 per cent of levels of these markers had around a 2.5 times increased subsequent risk of developing GDM compared with those in the bottom 25 per cent.

Similar findings were observed for ferritin levels in the first trimester. Describing the findings as biologically plausible, researchers offer various potential explanations.

Iron may play a role in the development of GDM through several potential mechanisms. As a strong pro-oxidant, free iron can promote several cellular reactions that generate reactive oxygen species and increase the level of oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress induced from excess iron accumulation can cause damage to and death of pancreatic beta cells which produce insulin and consequently, contribute to impaired insulin synthesis and secretion.

The study was published in the journal Diabetologia.
 

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Regulate your body's iron content to ‘switch on’ cellular functions

If you thought that your hemoglobin levels measure your iron status, think again. While hemoglobin reflects whether an individual is anemic, it may not necessarily be an indicator of your body’s iron stores.

Non-anemic iron deficiency was suggested as a factor for diffuse hair loss in women in 1963.
Since then, numerous studies have evaluated the associations between iron deficiency and hair loss.
Iron is stored in the body as ferritin. During early stages of iron deficiency, a decreased ferritin level is a sign of decreased iron stores.

Ferritin accounts for 20 per cent of total iron in adults and it plays an important role both in  absorption and recycling of iron and is formed by intestinal mucosa, liver, spleen and bone marrow.
Ferritin levels are a good indication of iron storage levels. Low ferritin levels indicate depleted iron reserves, while high ferritin levels indicate inflammation and can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Hair fall, hair thinning, hair loss (alopecia) and dull lifeless hair and lightening of dark hair can be linked to low ferritin levels.

Since iron is one of the key nutrients to ‘switch on’ cellular functions, low levels affect brain function as well. Iron deficiency is also known to depress the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infection.

Also, thyroid, para-thyroid and adrenal gland function are influenced by an imbalance of iron.
Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycles) is also seen with low iron stores. A poorly understood behaviour seen among iron deficient people is pica — the craving and consumption of ice, chalk, starch, clay, soil and other non-food substances.

Most common causes of low ferritin levels include heavy menstrual bleeding, crash dieting, poor diets, parasitic infections, surgeries, severe illnesses, digestive tract bleeding, emotional stress, medications, certain health conditions like malabsorption and thyroid abnormalities or hormonal changes.

Excessive or prolonged intake of certain supplements including vitamins B12, D, E, zinc, calcium, copper, magnesium or chromium antagonise the absorption of iron and may contribute to iron deficiency.

While these nutrients are important, supplementation with ferritin should be done with care for efficient body functioning.

Boost your iron levels
Iron rich foods include:
Animal foods — meat, especially organ meat (liver), Poultry and fish
Green leafy vegetables — cauliflower greens, mustard greens, radish leaves
Seed: Amaranth, lotus stem, black gram, black sesame, seaweed, black beans, soybean,
Grains: Quinoa
Dry fruits — dates and sultanas.

Iron absorption by our bodies is dependent on whether it is heme iron (animal food) or non-heme iron (plant foods)


Heme iron diets, rich in animal foods, allow a higher absorption of iron (10%-20%) compared to vegetarian diets (2%-5%)

Iron is absorbed 2-3 times more efficient when taken with foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, sprouts, tomatoes

Iron uptake can be increased by cooking in cast iron vessels. 100 g of spaghetti sauce can absorb 87g of iron from pan

 THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.








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