- New research from Make It Scotch reveals over half (52%) of adults in Scotland have experienced or suspect they have experienced low iron.
- With almost half (49%) of Scots taking on – or planning to take on – a new fitness challenge, there’s no better time to get the nation talking about iron.
- To mark World Iron Awareness Week (12-18 October), the brand is teaming up with Saltire Tides, Scotland’s only all-female crew taking on this year’s World’s Toughest Row, to get the nation talking about iron, energy and diet.
Brand new research released to mark World Iron Awareness Week (12-18 October) reveals that more than half of adults in Scotland have experienced, or suspect they have experienced, low iron at some point in their lives. Almost a third (29%) have received a formal diagnosis of iron deficiency, while 14% say they are currently living with low iron levels.
The findings expose a knowledge gap. While most people know iron helps reduce fatigue (67%), fewer realise it also contributes to the normal function of your immune system (46%) and even mental function (43%).
Confusion runs deeper when it comes to food sources: over half (56%) of Scots know beef is a source of iron, yet barely one in seven (15%) realise that lamb and pork contribute to the improvement of iron absorption when eaten with other foods containing iron such as green vegetables and beans.
With almost a third (29%) of Scots having taken on a new fitness challenge in the past two years, and a fifth (20%) planning to within the next 12 months, Make It Scotch is determined to close this gap. The brand is teaming up with Saltire Tides, Scotland’s only all-female crew taking on the World’s Toughest Row across the Atlantic this December, to raise awareness of just how much iron matters, and where to get it.
Ellen Clark, Jenna Volpert and Lauren Wilde-Arnold are about to put their own iron levels to the ultimate test when they take on one of the most extreme endurance tests on the planet.
Setting off in December from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, the trio will row more than 3,000 nautical miles completely unsupported, all the way to Antigua.
All working as healthcare professionals, the Scottish women are aiming to cross in under 40 days, which would break the current record for a female trio on this route. To do it, they’ll row in shifts around the clock, surviving on minimal sleep while battling 40ft waves, salt sores and total physical exhaustion for weeks at sea.
During the row, the crew expect to burn through around 5,000 calories a day just to keep going, while juggling hydration, recovery, protein, carbs – and iron, which becomes even harder to maintain under that level of sustained physical stress.
Jenna Volpert, a trainee paediatric surgeon and Saltire Tides team member said: “We’re going to be asking a lot of our bodies out there – rowing in shifts around the clock with barely any sleep, for weeks on end – so getting our iron levels right isn’t optional for us. It’s essential.
“I’ve actually had my own experience with iron deficiency in the past, and I know first-hand how much it can impact fitness and training.
“That’s why we’ve made a huge effort to ensure we’re fuelling our bodies with the highest quality produce and the best nutrients we can find. Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Prime Scottish Pork are a big part of that plan, especially in the final weeks before we set off.”
Emma Health, Director of Marketing at Quality Meat Scotland added:“What’s brilliant about teaming up with Saltire Tides is that they’re not just talking about the importance of iron in everyday life and fitness, they’re living it.
“Every stroke they take during their training and every mile they row on the Atlantic is powered by how well they’ve fuelled their bodies, and that’s the most honest demonstration of why iron matters that we could ask for.
“Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Prime Scottish Pork are sitting in supermarket fridges and on butchers’ counters across the country, and most people have no idea that pairing them with other foods as part of a healthy balanced diet helps your body absorb even more iron. We hope this partnership will change that.”
For recipe inspiration to support your overall health and wellbeing or more information on Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Prime Scottish Pork, please visit Make it Scotch.