As a go-getter who’s always eyeing the next goal, taking a break from your period probably feels like a step backward. The fatigue, cramps, and palpitations are just part of a monthly routine, right? But here’s the thing: while you’re powering through, you may be overlooking something important: your blood health.
It’s never too late to check in with your body! Read on to find out how menstruation affects your blood. Additionally, get tips to stay optimized during your period.
How Menstruation Affects the Blood
Here are some ways your monthly cycle can affect your blood health.
Blood Loss
Doctors consider a period heavy if a woman loses more than 80 milliliters (2.7 ounces) of blood. While it’s hard to measure exactly, you can estimate by tracking how many pads, tampons, or how often you empty your menstrual cup.
Watch out if you need to change your pad or tampon every one to two hours or empty your cup more often than usual.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells are carriers of hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen to the body organs and tissues. When menstrual blood loss reduces the number of red blood cells, it also lowers hemoglobin levels. As a result, your organs may not receive the oxygen they need to function optimally.
Iron Deficiency
Women with regular periods typically lose about 1 mg of iron per cycle, which is usually manageable. However, women with heavy periods can lose 5 to 6 times that amount. In the long run, this excess iron depletion may lead to the exhaustion of iron stores, contributing to the development of iron deficiency anemia.
Self-Care During Menstruation
Here are some tips that can help increase your iron intake and keep you energized during your period!
Modify Your Diet
Incorporate foods high in iron into your diet. Heme iron (iron derived from animal sources) can be found in liver, oysters, red meat, kidney beans, and clams. Consume plant-based foods such as spinach, beans, lentils, tofu, and fortified cereals to increase your non-heme iron intake.
Mind Your Cookware
According to studies, cooking food in iron pots may help improve its iron content. The bioavailability or absorption rate of iron, particularly heme iron which is simpler for the body to digest, can also be increased using this cooking technique.
Limit Caffeine Intake
Coffee, tea, and certain sodas contain tannins and caffeine, which can interfere with iron absorption. Try to limit your intake, especially in between meals.
Talk to Your Doctor About Iron Supplementation
Alongside the recommended dose of iron, DOH recommends Filipinos to accompany 60mg of elemental iron with at least 400 mcg of folic acid.
A healthcare professional can assist you in keeping an eye on your iron levels. In some cases, they may prescribe iron supplements. These supplements may aid in restoring iron stores and supporting red blood cell production.
Consider Iron + Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) + Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) + Folic Acid (Hemarate® FA)
Iron + Vitamin B-Complex + Folic Acid (Hemarate® FA) contains 60 mg of elemental Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B-complex. Together with proper diet and exercise, Iron + Folic Acid + B-Complex (Hemarate® FA) can help address iron-deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia. With regular intake, it can also help with the prevention of folate deficiency, and for lowering of plasma homocysteine.
Iron + Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) + Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) + Folic Acid (Hemarate® FA) is available in leading drugstores and supermarket pharmacies nationwide.
If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
ASC Reference Code: U0201P121824H
References:
1. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2021, June 17). Overview: Heavy periods. InformedHealth.org – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279294/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27061515/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279294/
2. Dean, L. (2005). Blood and the cells it contains. Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2263/#:~:text=Hemoglobin%20is%20the%20oxygen%2Dcarrying,gives%20RBCs%20their%20red%20color.
3. Bhutta, B. S., Alghoula, F., & Berim, I. (2024, March 4). Hypoxia. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482316/
4. Napolitano, M., Dolce, A., Celenza, G., Grandone, E., Perilli, M. G., Siragusa, S., Carta, G., Orecchioni, A., & Mariani, G. (2014). Iron-dependent erythropoiesis in women with excessive menstrual blood losses and women with normal menses. Annals of hematology, 93(4), 557–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-013-1901-3
5.Moustarah, F., & Daley, S. F. (2024, January 8). Dietary iron. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK540969/
6. Sharma, S., Khandelwal, R., Yadav, K., Ramaswamy, G., & Vohra, K. (2021). Effect of cooking food in iron-containing cookware on increase in blood hemoglobin level and iron content of the food: A systematic review. Nepal journal of epidemiology, 11(2), 994–1005. https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v11i2.36682
7.Delimont, N. M., Haub, M. D., & Lindshield, B. L. (2017). The Impact of Tannin Consumption on Iron Bioavailability and Status: A Narrative Review. Current developments in nutrition, 1(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3945/cdn.116.000042
8. Felipe-Dimog, E., Liang, F.-W., & Silao, C. L. (20 C.E.). Promotional strategies to increase Iron–Folic acid supplementation compliance among pregnant women in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 150 (3): 719-728(0031–7683),https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/images/pdf/pjs_pdf/vol150no3/promotional_strategies_to_increase_iron-folic_acid_.pdf
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