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Why Iron is important
Iron is a component of hemoglobin, myoglobin and many
enzymes in the body. (4)
Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from
your lungs to the rest of your body. A common cause of anemia is not
having enough iron, which your body needs to produce hemoglobin and
muscle cells. (1, 2, 4)
The body recycles iron. When red blood cells die, the iron in them is
returned to the bone marrow to be used again in new red blood cells.
Everyone loses a small amount of iron each day, which is usually
replaced by the iron absorbed from food each day. (1)
The two types of iron you receive from food are heme (pronounced
"heem") iron (found in
animal products) and nonheme iron (found in
most foods and in iron
supplements). Nonheme iron accounts for more
than 85% of iron in the
average diet. However, less than 20% of con-
sumed nonheme iron is
absorbed into the body. (1)
Vitamin C can help increase absorption and is essential in the production
of hemoglobin while calcium can inhibit iron absorption. In fact, children
who drink too much milk can become iron deficient.
(4) |
Try to avoid commercial black or pekoe teas, which contain
substances that bind to iron so that it cannot be used by the body. |
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| Chronic fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and dizziness can be signs of anemia in men and women. |
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