An extended period of menstruation is called menorrhagia, which refers to a menstrual period that lasts seven to 14 days. This prolonged loss of blood can often lead to iron deficiency, which can be remedied by boosting iron intake.
When does menorrhagia occur?
Menorrhagia occurs when a woman loses more than 80 milliliters (2.7 fluid ounces) of blood during menstruation or when menstruation lasts longer than 7 days. A consequence of prolonged menstruation can be a deficiency of iron in the blood or iron anemia.
Iron deficiency causes fatigue, pallor of the skin, and restlessness. According to some in the medical community, menorrhagia often goes untreated, as only about 8% of menorrhagic patients receive additional iron supplementation.
Menorrhagia treatment is primarily aimed at normalizing the menstrual period. As soon as the strength and duration of the menstruation have returned to normal, the negative symptoms of menorrhagia immediately subside.
A Scandinavian team of researchers recently proved that even after successful treatment of menorrhagia, the iron stores in the body were still heavily depleted.
Boosting one’s intake of iron over the long-term, can improve mental acuity, decrease anxiety, decrease occurrences of depression, and increase overall quality of life.
Supplementation of iron can help
It would take several years to replenish the body’s iron stores purely through food. Therefore, the researchers recommend that menorrhagia be diagnosed at an early stage with sufficient iron supplementation. This counteracts a further iron loss and enables a faster normalization of the iron levels in the body.
Boosting one’s intake of iron over the long-term can improve mental acuity, decrease anxiety, decrease occurrences of depression, and increase overall quality of life.
Studies have also shown that iron levels influence the psyche. Women who consume sufficient amounts of plant iron have a 30-40% lower risk of developing premenstrual syndrome (PMS). See our article on plant iron and PMS for more on this topic.
Furthermore, studies have shown the importance of an adequate supply of iron for crictical microbiomes. There are also new findings regarding the adequate dosage of iron intake, where just a little is often enough.
