how does your intake of iron affect your period?

Question

what would happen if u didn't have enough iron?
would your periods stop or would they just be really heavy?

what would happen if u had too much iron?

Answer 1

Iron doesn't effect your period directly, but it DOES help to prevent anemia (low blood-iron). When you have really heavy periods, it is recommended that you take an iron supplement to help stave off this possibility.

The effects of iron deficiency vary from mild to severe, with the number one complaint being fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, lightheadedness/dizziness, and fainting.

The other extreme - too much iron in the blood - can lead to diabetes, arthritis, heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, and even liver cancer

Answer 2

Too much iron in the body can do liver damage. There is a disease called hemochromatosis (hope I got that right) in which people normally have too much iron and have to give blood every so often to get rid of the iron so it doesn't do any damage to the body. If left untreated, it can actually progress to cirrhosis (scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in the liver) which can lead to total liver failure and a person needing a liver transplant. You should not be taking extra iron unless you really need it and that should be determined by a doctor through blood work to see if you have anemia. If you have anemia, then it's best to find out why. It most likely would not be a liver problem if you are anemic and need iron. Maybe your body doesn't absorb iron right. There could even be a bleeding internally problem of some kind. It could be something minor to something serious if you need iron. You should not self medicate yourself on this.

Answer 3

You don't want to ingest too much iron at the risk of developing hemochromatosis. Your iron intake does affect your period in various ways, which I suggest if you have a legitimate concern, that you go see your doctor.

We as women lose iron through menstruation, so you want to make sure you're eating the right foods and/or taking daily vitamins.

Answer 4

When not having enough iron during one's period the flow can be super heavy and cause a great deal of pain with the cramping. By increasing the amount of iron during that time by eating things like spinach, raisins, and peanut butter (if not allergic to peanuts of course) it helps your body store iron to help slow the amount of flow down which then eases the cramping.

If one goes in to iron overload they may end up with a condition called hematochromatosis which can cause a great deal of problems and one has to be careful how much iron they take in. This condition tends to be pretty rare from what I've read.

I would recommend checking with your doctor as well to see what they say.

Answer 5

I don't think you can really have too much iron, I guess unless you over does on Iron supplements or something. When you have your period you iron levels drop due to the loss of blood, usually not dangerously if you are healthy though. Having a iron deficiency will make your periods heavier. Having too much iron will just make you very very sick, I don't know what it will do to your periods.

Answer 6

whenever i dont have enough iron in my body when im on my period i feel faint and tired. i turn really pale and almost pass out. the first day for me is the worst and when ur on ur period ur losing all of ur iron from ur flow. so try to keep ur iron up eat some fish or veggie soup and it'll keep u healthy

Answer 7

it helps ur body replenish ur red blood cell supply allowing ur body to get the oxygen it needs-
if u dont have adequate iron (which not all people experience probs with decreased iron during their period) u could feel fatigued more than ususal....

it wont affect ur bleeding at all