Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Iron and restless legs


It is becoming more well known that iron status and restless legs are connected. Many times when I share restless legs information on my Facebook page, someone will comment with a reminder of this connection.

I love that we're making a nutritional connection with such an uncomfortable problem.

However, it is important to remember, as was confirmed in a recent article reviewing numerous accepted treatments for restless legs, that iron supplementation is most likely to help the condition if there is a standing iron deficiency. If iron status is adequate, "topping off", so to speak, isn't going to fix the problem.

So....

...if you've got restless legs and you haven't checked your iron status, might be a good idea.

...if your iron levels are low, try an iron supplement.

However...

...if your iron status is fine, and/or you've tried the iron and your legs are still moving,

...consider that there are other options that may provide more relief.

Nutrition is a great place to start, and being well-nourished before trying medication is always a great strategy, but don't stop there if it doesn't turn out to be the answer.

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