Iron is an essential mineral. It is needed to make red blood cells which are cells that carry oxygen around our body. Iron helps to reduce tiredness and supports our immune and brain function. Did you know 61% of Irish women aged 18-50 years have inadequate iron intakes and the recommended iron intake is 14mg per day.

2 Signs That You May Need More Iron

1. Exhaustion a common symptom of inadequate iron levels but is possibly the most difficult one to detect. We’re so used to leading busy lives that often we just dismiss being tired as being normal. Inadequate iron intake can result in less oxygen reaching organs and tissues due to a reduction in red blood cells, which can leave us feeling exhausted. If you are feeling particularly fatigued and you have other symptoms such as irritability, iron might have something to do with it, but it’s always best to get checked over by your doctor.
2. Our brain uses approximately 20% of the oxygen in our bloodstream. Iron is necessary to maximise the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood making it important for brain health. When iron levels are inadequate the body will prioritise getting oxygen to your brain before it worries about other tissues, so you might therefore find your brain runs a bit slower than usual if you have inadequate iron levels.

Top 3 tips on how to get more iron in your diet:

Type of iron
Iron from different foods is absorbed differently by the body. Iron in meat (haem iron) is more easily absorbed than the iron in grains and vegetables (non-haem) iron sources. While red meat and spinach contain similar amounts of iron, the type of iron contained in the spinach (non haem) contains compounds which make it difficult for the body to absorb.

Absorption
Phytates, which are found in plant foods such as grains, beans and nuts can reduce iron absorption. However, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water by stopping your consumption of these foods. Instead incorporate foods containing vitamin C into the meal to help counteract the effect.

Iron and Vitamin C
Vitamin C increases iron absorption from both haem and non haem iron sources. Eating foods that naturally contain vitamin C at the same time as foods containing iron such as peppers, peas, broccoli and brussel sprouts, will help boost absorption. Consuming iron fortified foods such as Avonmore Slimline Milk which contains both Iron and Vitamin C and can provide up to 37% of your recommended daily intake of Iron in a 250ml serving.

Foods that contain iron (consume with vitamin C rich foods to help increase iron absorption).

• Red meat
• Fish
• Beans
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Iron-fortified foods such as Avonmore Slimline Milk

Why do we need it?

Our bodies need protein to support a wide range of physiological function including the growth, maintenance and repair of the bodies tissues.

Muscle Health: Protein in our muscles are constantly being broken down and rebuilt naturally in day to day life and during exercise. So it is important to have an adequate protein intake to help repair muscle breakdown.

Bone Health: Adequate dietary protein is essential for optimal bone growth during childhood and adolescence and also helps to maintain bone health as we get older.

How much protein do we need?

The EU daily reference intake for protein in adults is 50g per day.

Protein content in a ranges of different foods.

Food	Average Serving	Protein Content
Avonmore Milk Range Average	250ml	8.7g
Avonmore Protein Milk	250ml	12.7g
Cheddar Cheese	30g	8g
Eggs	50g	6.2g
Baked Beans	190g	9.8g
Mixed Nuts	50g	11.4g
Fish Cod Baked	175g	37g
Chicken Grilled	150g	45g
Beef rump steak grilled	150g	47g

Are all protein sources the same?

• Proteins are comprised of 21 amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential, which means the body cannot make them and they must be eaten in the diet. Amino acids can be found in both foods of animal and plant sources.
• Animal sources of protein such as milk, meat and cheese contain all of the nine amino acids we need, making them a complete protein source.
• Plant sources of protein such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, tend to lack one or more of the essential amino acid, making them an incomplete protein source.

What are milk proteins made up of?

• Milk is a complete protein source which means it naturally contains all of the 9 essential amino acids our bodies cannot make by itself.
• The major proteins in milk are called casein and whey, milk contains about 80% casein and 20% whey.

Calcium is the main mineral present in bones and teeth. It helps to build and maintain bone health throughout life.

Bone is a living tissue; constantly renewing themselves by losing old calcium and replacing it with new calcium. Bones need a constant supply of nutrients such as calcium.

Calcium cannot be produced by the body and must be provided by the foods you eat.

Bone growth is greatest in childhood and teenage years when there are growth spurts – approximately 90% of bone strength is achieved by the age of 18 years.

In adulthood, we naturally begin to lose more calcium from our bones than we can replace and that means bones begin to lose strength.

The more calcium bone strength we can develop during childhood and adolescence the less likely it is that bones will become fragile in later life.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D has an essential role in healthy bone development as it helps the body absorb calcium. Sunshine helps our bodies produce Vitamin D, however in Ireland we don’t get enough sunshine so we need to top up by consuming food and drinks that are a good source of Vitamin D, such as tuna, mackerel, fish liver oils and Avonmore Super Milk.

Calcium Bones and beyond.

Calcium is well-known as a building material for bones and teeth and is also needed for normal muscle function, blood clotting and is involved in energy metabolism and cell division.

Calcium contributes to normal blood clotting

Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism

Calcium contributes to normal muscle function

Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission

Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes

Calcium has a role in the process of cell division and specialisation

What Foods Contain Calcium?

Good sources of calcium in the diet are dairy foods such as:

Milk

Yogurt

Cheese

How Much Calcium Do I Need?

The Department of Health’s Food Pyramid recommends the following servings:

• Adults need 3 servings daily
• Children aged 9-18 years need 5 servings daily

What is a serving?

25g low fat cheese (matchbox size piece)

A large glass (200ml) of milk – full fat, low fat , and fat free are all suitable as they all have similar amounts of calcium

1 small carton of yogurt (125ml)

1 yogurt drink (200ml)

People in Ireland are most vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency

Avonmore Whole and Low Fat Super Milk is a rich source of Vitamin D. Just one 250ml glass is fortified with 5 micrograms of Vitamin D – that’s 100% of the EU recommended daily intake of Vitamin D for adults.  Included as part of a healthy balanced diet, Avonmore Super Milk is a great choice for you and your growing family.

Facts about Vitamin D:

• Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps our bodies use calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth.
• Vitamin D also helps to regulate cell division, normal muscle function and supports the function of the immune system.
• Vitamin D is known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ because our bodies can make it from the sun. When sunlight hits our skin, the ultra-violet (UVB) sunrays are used to make vitamin D.
• From October to March, in countries at a latitude greater than 42° North, little or no vitamin D can be produced due to the quality and quantity of sunlight – Ireland’s latitude is 51-55° North.

The state of the Nation with regard to Vitamin D
The EU reference intake for vitamin D is 5μg per day

Preschool Children
70-84% of 1-4 year olds in Ireland have intakes less than 5μg per day. (IUNA, 2012)

Primary school children
88% had intakes of less than 5μg per day with 34% at less than 1μg/d (IUNA, 2003/2004)

Teenagers
Vitamin D intake in the teenage group was only 2.7 μg per day, with 22% taking less than 1 μg per day (IUNA, 2006)

Adults
72% of men and 78% of women having average daily vitamin D intakes of less than 5µg per day. (IUNA ,2011)

Older adults
Among those aged 65 years and over, over half had average daily intakes of vitamin D less than 5µg, with 87% of men and 77% of women having daily intakes of less than 10µg. (IUNA ,2011)

Pregnant women
The average dietary intake of vitamin D among pregnant women in Ireland ranges from 1.9 – 2.1μg per day or 80% below current recommended levels of 10μg per day.

Food Sources of Vitamin D

Food	Serving Size	Amount of Vitamin D
Egg (vitamin D is found in yolk)	1 average	1.6μg
Liver (Lamb)	100 grams	0.9μg
Fortified milk (Super Milk)*	250ml glass	5μg
Salmon	170 grams	13.6μg
Mackerel	200 grams	18μg
Fortified Cereal*	30g	1.3 μg

Source: McCance and Widdowson’s. The Composition of Foods. Seventh Summary Edition. FSA. Food Portion Sizes. Third Edition. *Manufacturer Information