Try iron for an energy boost

Thursday, 12 July 2012 9:40 AM

If you are feeling a little run down, make sure there is plenty of iron in your diet. New research found iron supplements reduced fatigue by almost 50% in women who are low in iron but not anaemic.

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, involved 198 women between the ages of 18 and 50 years taking either an iron supplement or a placebo.

"We found that iron supplementation for 12 weeks decreased fatigue by almost 50% from baseline, a significant difference of 19% compared with placebo, in menstruating iron-deficient non anaemic women with unexplained fatigue," said Dr. Bernard Favrat, Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Iron can be found in red meat, egg yolks and greens such as spinach – hence the Popeye cartoons! However, if you are struggling to fit iron into your diet, a supplement can help bridge the gap. We like Iron Glycinate by Solaray, available from chemists and Amazon.co.uk.

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