Iron is a very important nutrient and often people who do not have enough iron can become anaemic and find they have very little energy. Iron is a component of haemoglobin in red blood cells that distribute oxygen around the body, it is also contributes towards myoglobin that is found in muscles and tissues.

If you have a good balanced diet then you should not need to take iron supplements unless you have been advised to do so. Iron is found in a number of foods and is often associated with dark green veg such as Kales, Broccoli and Spinach. Other good sources of iron include Liver, meat and fish, Eggs, nuts, iron fortified cereals and dried fruits such as raisins.

If you feel that even after a good night’s sleep you still have little energy and are struggling to stay awake then it may be worth going to your doctors to see if they will give you a blood test to check your iron count. This is a very common test and can quickly determine if you are in fact getting enough iron.

If you are pregnant then you will often need even more iron in take than usually and will be advised to take pregnancy supplements to help with this.